Daddy's Girls
by Cambria Jenkins
Summary: Or, How the Daughters of the Shitennou Defeated Metallia
1. Chapter 1

Emily Vaziri's eyes started going down the road, to the snow-lined road up ahead. She should have never come back from Harrodsburg this way! Now, in her final semester at University of Kentucky, she was ready to get her degree and leave the state. It was all about Wildcats this, Wildcats that. Coming from California made her an outcast. Being the daughter of Jewish Persian nobility did not help either. But, of course, after having to go by the alias Emily Vanderbilt for five years (to avoid 9/11 backlash), she was tired of having to conform to the British notions of American perfection. She wanted to be Emily Vaziri again, but Vanderbilt had stuck. Then again, another hairpin turn in these Kentucky Mountains pulled her back into the present, but then another hairpin turn and her Toyota slid over some unseen ice, through a guardrail, and careened down into the Kentucky River at high speed.

This was it! she thought. All this studying of business and graphic arts was going to amount to nothing! Then, just as fast as it began, her terror was over. The car crashed into a large boulder on the river.

When the shock wore off, Emily could see she was safe. Another terror soon came to light. Four tall shadows walked toward her car. Were these the crazy hill people she had heard so much about? She reached into her glove compartment and pulled out a set of ninja stars. She had learned how to use them in martial arts classes. She was a first-degree black belt in Judo, so that was not a problem either. Now, did these men have guns?

They came closer to the car, not seeming to care if anyone saw them. As the shadows came closer, Emily could see that they were men, three of them with long hair. They wore brown leggings, metal boots, and high necked tunic jackets. They also had long dark capes. They all carried flashlights, and she could hear the clanking of their swords and the swhishing of capes. One of them had white hair-just like her! That was weird! Emily felt she know somehow that she was different. Nobody in her family, not her father, mother, or stepmother, had it, nor any relatives. They did not stop coming up to the car. Emily was paralyzed, and broke into a cold sweat. She survived only to be raped and murdered by a bunch of renaissance-faire tweakers!

The four men surrounded the car-all of them with strangely mushy looks on their faces. The white-haired man, standing by Emily's window, tapped on the glass.

"Are you okay? Can you speak?"

Emily screamed.

One of the other men chimed in, from the other side of the car. "She sounds as crazy as you, too!"

"Shut up, dickhead."

She pulled the keys from her ignition and shined the flashlight on the leader. He had long white hair, silvery green eyes and darker skin, just like Emily herself.

"Miss Vanderbilt, are you all right? You had a right nasty spill back there."

"I'm fine. A little cold, though."

"It happens. Would you like a hot caramel latte?"

Even though there did not seem to be a Starbucks for miles, Emily nodded. The leader mysteriously produced a commuter coffee cup with a pearly lavender outside and black rubber grip and top. When he handed the cup to her, it seemed to radiate a gentle heat. The latte inside was as hot as though it just came from a barista's hand.

"Y'all had a pretty big crash there. The helicopter will be here any minute. I just wanted to make sure you survived."

"Why? What's the big reason some hill people gotta stick their nose in my life?"

"You'll know the day after tomorrow."

A helicopter sounded overhead.

"Promise us this, my jewel. Don't try to tell anyone we were here. You were just stopped by a rock close to the river."

"Are you guardian angels?"

Just like that, they were gone.

She had to heal in the hospital, since suffering a concussion and broken leg. The staff at UK Hospital was amazed that she even survived, and that nothing caught on fire, considering the wreck her car became. The reporters from the major TV and radio stations were all quite friendly to her, considering she suffered humiliating leg and ankle injuries two years before dropping out of the UK Wildcats basketball team.

A few days later, her parents came from Southern California to see her. After the initial shock to the staff that her parents were racially Jewish Iranian, and decked out in flag pins and red, white and blue clothing, they came up to the room. They spoke about how life was, and how things were getting along.

"How are home prices in Dove Canyon?"

"Still rising. Listen, I know you want to go back to California, but...somebody said you can't go home again."

"But father, I want to work with you!"

"Honey, I know. We want to live here. Kentucky needs a few of us. Besides, do you realize how cheap real estate here is?"

"Do you realize how backward this place is?"

"I wouldn't say that. The days of 9/11 are coming to an end. Besides, we ourselves have turned in sleeper cells, remember?"

"Father, I'm sorry. I should have known people are less judgmental when they know us."

"Darling, I know."

After they hugged, Emily's father spoke up again.

"Darling, there is something I have to tell you. I am not your real father."

"What?"

"It's true. There was a woman we hired to conceive you, but a doctor

Emily remembered the four men at the scene of the accident, but said nothing of it. (Betraying your saviors is never a good idea.)

"What mark?"

"Why, it has been said a royal family under the Ottoman Empire had white hair, which was a mark of divine royalty."

"My hair?"

"It denotes wisdom well beyond your years. However, sometimes that wisdom is blocked by this fear of the unknown."

"Father, all my records at UK are under Emily Vanderbilt."

"I know. However, the very minute you graduate, you are to retake the name Vaziri. It is a name of honor."

Emily nodded.

Soon, she was released to her parents, who brought her to their hotel to make sure she could run well on her crutches. At least the room was a suite, where she stayed out front while her parents stayed in back.

Her parents tried to keep their bedroom activities quiet, but Emily could still hear it.


	2. Chapter 2

Juliana sat down on the BART train and sighed, pushing up one lock of curly blond hair. Enough people laughing at her when she said she deserved a good looking man to the skinny girls at the club would get her upset, so she started a fight. That was the forty-third club she was kicked out of. At least this owner decided not to press charges. (There had been times Julianna's actions almost put her in juvenile hall, all stemming from somebody calling her a "fat bitch.") At least, going back home to Berkeley, she could be happy that this would soon be over-and she would move to Madrid, where the government banned all the too-skinny models because of health-related accidents. Someday, someday soon. That's why she changed her name from Julie to Juliana-legally. Someday, somewhere, she would find a place where she was loved and accepted. Who could predict how long that would take?

At least she was safe on the train. However, there was a man who looked like a blond, skinny version of her who made eye contact with her. Once he did, he smiled.

He eventually went and sat down on the end of the row of side seats she was in.

"Excuse me, miss, but have you seen this woman?" He showed her a picture. It was her, during her freshman year at San Francisco Community. It was also very creepy, so she tiptoed around the truth.

"Uh, what for?"

"There is a very important message and gift I have for her."

"I know her very well. I'll get it to her."

"Tell her that since she has been searching for her roots, all the answers she seeks will be in this box." He handed her a black shiny cardboard box with red velvet ribbon-like it was from a jewelry store close by her childhood apartment. She took the box and held it close to her ear.

"It's not anything harmful-just a little pendant and a note."

"Okay, I'll make sure she gets it."

As Juliana stepped off the train, she noticed the man was grinning ever wider as she left. When the doors closed and the train sped off, she walked home, pulling out her rain poncho on the steps. She felt ponchos were better than umbrellas.

Just as she arrived to the building, she opened the box. Inside was a beautiful Imperial Jade locket carved with a sweet father and daughter scene, with a note in Cyrillic cursive, and a certification that the stone came from Burma.

"You opening other people's gifts?"

At that, Juliana punched the source of the voice straight in the eye. As he fell to the ground, she could see it was a tall man, with big red waves, blue jacket, pale white twill pants and a butter yellow shirt.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's a habit."

"Guess I better be careful. I was just wondering, is that your gift?"

"Yes."

"Well, excuse me. Where did it come from?"

"It came from a man on the BART. I already made sure it was safe with him."

"Well, okay."

"By the way, what's your business with it?"

"Was he a blond guy who looked a lot like you?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, good. He was my messenger. I am a man who returns stolen properties from Soviet defectors to them and their families. I just wanted to make sure it got where it was meant to be."

"Oh, okay. Listen, if there's anything else my parents had left behind, let me know."

"Here's my card." It was a business card with the name Michael Stonehenge.

When she got up to her room, Juliana laid down on her bed, with the poster advertising Mammoth Caves in Kentucky. She always wanted to go there one day. Maybe after college-and with that she drifted off to sleep.

"Did you sneak up on her like I warned you not to?" asked Jadeite.

"No."

"Liar. Here, heal your eye while I get the lines taken care of."

"Well, fine."

"Listen, we cannot get too close or involved. Metallia might find us again."

"Is that why you wrote the note in Cyrillic?"

"Yes. A translator will get her the message. By the way, I know she does not know Russian."


	3. Chapter 3

Grace finally got into her car after working her shift at Mount Vernon, and was on her way home through the Virginia woods. She stopped at a local gas station and went inside. There, she bought a mochalatte, a tank of gas, and a doughnut to get herself on the way home. She went over to the glass-enclosed window, paid with her card, and went outside. There, near her car, was a red Ferrari with a man who seemed to have the beautiful red waves she did, and who got out of the vehicle. When he looked at her, se smiled brightly. His eyes were blue and sparkly, filled with light, even though the only light was coming from inside the station. He wore a brown T-shirt, blue suit jacket and dark jeans. He smiled.

"Good evening, dearie. Going home?"

"Uh...yeah."

"Name's Michael Stonehenge." he extended his arm out to shake hands.

"Nice to meet you. Grace Jenkins."

"I hope we meet again."

"Me too." She quickly got into her car.

Just as she left the parking lot, Mr. Stonehenge pulled out after her. She noticed him a mile later, driving behind her. She began to get nervous. Who was this weird doppelganger guy, and why did he want to drive behind her? She had heard nightmare tales of murderers stalking women who lived alone, though she lived with roommates in a house in Richmond. She began to take several twists in the back roads, but Mr. Stonehenge would not budge. She had to take drastic action. She found another gas station up ahead, complete with two police cruisers. She pulled into the station, went straight to the car and tapped on the window. Inside, there was an officer and a man with a camera, filming the whole thing.

"Excuse me, miss, what seems to be the problem?"

"There's a man following me! I came from the station back near Mount Vernon, and he's been following me from there."

At that moment, Mr. Stonehenge pulled up.

"That's him!"

The officer got out of the car and went to Mr. Stonehenge.

"What seems to be the problem here?"

"Thank God she's out of the car."

The officer looked at him and said, "Hands where I can see them, buddy."

"Screw you!"

The officer then grabbed his arm, and several others restrained him as he fought. The four men had him down on the ground, while he struggled.

Finally, Mr. Stonehenge had cuffs put on him.

"Now, are you going to listen to me? Tell me why you followed her."

"Fine. I had to get Grace away from that man in her car."

"You say there's a man in her car?"

"Yes. There he is! You can see him right now!"

The officers looked over to Grace's car, where surely enough, there was a pale, dirt-covered man with a wild-eyed look that was frightening.

They quickly surrounded the car, held guns on it, and busted out the shotgun window. They then pulled the man out, and he fought them, almost knocking over the guy filming this all.

"They're going to kill me! They're going to kill me!"

The officers, after a long struggle, finally got the man in handcuffs and cuffs on his feet. When they searched him, they found small bags of heroin, marijuana, a crack pipe, Ecstasy pills, cocaine (street-test kit said so), several hundred dollars, and none of it was his. (It never is.)


	4. Chapter 4

Blossom's eyes filled with tears as the woman in the throne looked at the crystal ball she had on the court.

"Soon, our kings will be back with us. The capture of the first daughter has been completed."

She had very little idea where she was, or how she got there. This was all she had remembered:

"Come on, baby, I need you."

"And I don't need your hooks in me."

"A man could go insane if he doesn't get laid. You know that."

"You're not Kane, are you?"

"What's he got to do with any of this?"

"Listen, I only talked with you online because I thought you were intelligent, kind, resourceful, and a little cute. I never wanted to have sex with you."

"Well, what I want and what you want are two different things."

Blossom opened the door and got out. As shocked as he was, it seemed even weirder that the guy did not even try to drag her back in. (Of course, she had a pair of large meat shears if he tried anything on her. A full Lorena was the order for date rape.)

She went out to the paved road and put out her thumb. Hitchhiking was the only way she was going to get back home to Tampa. It was actually quite cold for her.

The first car came up, with a woman in the seat.

"Are you in trouble?"

"Yes. I was on a date and the guy tried to get up in me, and-"

"It's OK. Where do you need to go."

"Tampa. Just off the Junction."

"I'll get you there."

So Blossom got in the woman's car.

A few miles up ahead, she noticed a sign saying "Orlando - 23 miles." Wait-she was going the wrong way!

"Um, ma'am, I'm not sure of where you're going, but-"

"We're going in the right direction. You've got a meeting with somebody."

Blossom tried to get the door again, but this time it did not budge. As a matter of fact, it wrapped in a tentacle around her hand!

"What are you?"

"I'm your guardian, dear."

Suddenly, the woman's hair became tentacles, and her eyes glowed red. Various parts of Blossom's seat became tentacles, wrapping themselves around her. She screamed.

"Scream all you want, honey, no one's gonna hear you."

One of the tentacles smacked her on the head, kocking her unconscious.

When she came to, she was in a cage hanging inside a giant room, with dark minions surrounding her.

"Good morning, my dear Blossom. Your father will be here shortly."

What? She didn't have a father since they died in a car accident four years ago.

The monster woman that lured her was given a special tiara, and kissed on the forehead by a woman with blue skin and red hair, with horns sticking out of her shoulders. She wore a purple dress and what looked like a large boomerang with a giant black stone in the middle as a crown.

"Wh-who are you?"

"Please, allow me to introduce myself. I am Beryl, your queen."

"Queen? I'm American."

"You are first and foremost a member of the Earth Kingdom."

"This isn't some weird cult, is it?"

"No. You are a woman of considerable rank and power due to your bloodline."

"My parents were royals?"

"Of course. Your father was my commaner in Europe, and your mother heir to the throne of the planet Mercury."

"Isn't Mercury a little, um, hot to live on?"

"SILENCE!"

Blossom's eyes welled up.

"Oh, forgive me, dearie. Your father was my commander in Europe, and you are his heir to the throne. It is time to bring you and the other ranking girls to my side."

Blossom's head began to throb. She was having a full-blown migraine. As her eyes closed and she passed out, she could hear Queen Beryl saying, "Take her to her quarters. She needs her rest."

_ "Where is my little Sakura? She was supposed to meet me today."_

_ Zoisite's eyes were downturned. Kunzite came to his side._

_ "Didn't you hear? She went missing last night."_

_ Nephrite came into the coffee shop. "I have bad news. This crystal came to the door."_

_ It was a black one, with this message inscribed._

_ I HAVE THE DAUGHTER OF ZOISITE._

_ COME BACK TO ME OR GIVE THE OTHERS._

_ IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME._

_**BERYL, YOUR QUEEN**_


	5. Chapter 5

As Grace got off I-75 just east of Lexington, KY, her muscles tensed up. She began to notice a pain in her neck. No matter; she just hoped her grandparents had not reached town today. Things began to flood back in her memory: the days she was left alone sitting in the car while Mom would cry herself out to psychologists; the times her mother had married, both of them very abusive, and now, the aunts, uncles and cousins who left her alone until she was found dead of a heart attack six hours after a morning phone call, and only when another phone call was made to check on how she had handled herself. (Of course, in her later years, she never wanted to touch another man as long as she lived.)

And now, with all this in her past, she had to go back up to Nicholasville for a sudden funeral for her great-grandmother. Nobody was going to welcome her, since her mother seemed to be on the outside of the family. She liked to talk, but they kept to themselves and only her mother's half-sister who did not do anything with them would talk to her. What was she to do? She would go to the funeral, maybe eat at someone's home if the family invited her, or Italian if not, and go back down to Washington, D.C. forever. Her plan was set. No more rejection from her family - Kentucky looked best in the rearview mirror as far as she was concerned!

As she pulled into the funeral home, her eyes scanned to see if anybody would come over and say hello. Well, somebody actually did. There, in the crowd, was Aunt Vickie Wells, the aunt on her mother's side. She went over, and Aunt Vickie hugged her.

They looked over the pictures together, scanning for any sign, any shred of evidence that Grace and her mother knew she existed, but there was none. Oh, well, at least she could go back down to Washington, D.C. when the day was done.

They sat down. There were several gospel hymns sung, a life affirmation given as a testimony to her life, and passages of Bible Scripture that was her favorite all time themes of life read. Then, they paid their last respects. Grace, stiff and unemotional as she was around her family, as her time to pay her last respects came, she could hold it in no longer.

"Grandma," she whispered, "I'll always love you, even though you're the only one in this family that loved me, and loved my mother."

She turned to the side, and Aunt Vickie's face was white. So was Grandma Janie Lynn's. They had heard.

Back at her Great Aunt Melda's place, there was much discussion and looks among the family, as usual, but this time it took on a different tone. When people looked at Grace this time, they had sad looks. Many of them tried to offer her foods and drinks, but it seemed a little trivial to Grace. What could anyone have said that had any meaning, now that she had let out the biggest skeleton in her closet? Was this contrition, or was it dramatization?

Grandma Janie Lynn took her to one side. There were tears in her eyes.

"Now, Gracie, baby, you need to know that I was never taught how to be a woman who showed any feelings, but I want you to know that I love you. I also loved your mother. All those thoughts on her image were only to help her along."

"But you never said that! All she ever heard was how wrong and how rotten she ever was!"

"I only wanted to help. There was so much wrong in your mother's life that I wanted to help her with."

"My God, Grandma, did she ever do anything right?"

"Yes, honey. She raised you, and she was faithful to the end. It was also good that she left that evil man who had been beating the both of you. I am also happy she came home."

"I thought you never saw anything to love in us."

"No, baby, there's no need to worry about that now. She also adopted you from some very nice people out in Arkansas."

"Adopted?"

Aunt Vickie chimed in. "Honey, you want to know a secret?"

"What kind of shit did my mother do this time?"

"Nothing wrong about your mother, honey. It's that she adopted you from a set of people whose lives were destroyed in a tornado. Your birth mother was killed, but your father had remained in a coma for twenty years."

"He did?"

"Yes, honey. He has sent me this letter to tell you he will meet up with you soon."

"Oh. Okay." She grabbed the letter.

"You want to stay over at my place so you can sort all this out?"

"I was planning to drive early to get back home, but I think I can."

"Well, Grace, looks like I let the cat out of the bag this time."

"Huh?"

"Sorry. I always thought your mother talked too much, but I guess she gets it from us Janies. Your grandmother always talked too much, too, just like us."

That night, close by, Grace read the letter she got from this mysterious man.

April 4, 1989

Dear Grace,

If you are reading this letter, your adoptive family has told you about me. I have always wondered how you are, and when you would discover this. My calculations have predicted early in April 2007. I have been trained to track the stars for a living. If you are curious, all you have to do is go to the bank on Meade Place and receive the set of jewelry I have deposited for you. I look forward to seeing you someday, and I hope I can speak to you freely, if you want to.

With Love,

Your Father

(Michael Stonehenge)

Michael Stonehenge? The man who tried to alert her to the drugged-out maniac in her car? She should not have doubted him, but she also knew where to go for help, too. Someday, she would find that man and thank him.


	6. Chapter 6

Emily looked over the banks of the Kentucky River, three weeks after she got out of the hospital. The police said they found her on a flat section of the riverbank overlooking the river, but the only one she could find was the narrow strip of land just on the Mercer County side. She went over to the coffee shop in the middle of this nowhere to get a closer look. There it was, a hubcap to her car, and some good knowledge as to whom the men on the bank were. Maybe it was the owners of the coffee shop? She had brought her commuter mug the leader gave to her.

At least it was open today. There was a girl there, who fixed her a caramel macchiato to sip while she asked questions.

"Did you notice anything strange here a couple weeks ago?"

"You mean at the time of the accident? Other than that, no."

"Well, I think this might be a hallucination, but there were four guys I saw that night."

"Did they run y'all off the road?"

"No. I got into some black ice back up the hill on the way home. Had business in Danville."

"When did y'all see these guys?"

"It was a little after I crashed. There were four of them, in what looked like Renaissance Faire suits."

"Renaissance Faire, huh? Y'all must be the leader's daughter."

"You saw them?"

"Yeah. They were here that morning, when business was open. They ordered something in that mug of yours, then they discussed something that would happen to his little girl that night."

"He called me his little girl?"

"Uh-huh. Then they went back around the shop, but no one could see them there, then they somehow popped up by the coffee shack-right over here."

The coffee girl then gave Emily a small red velvet box.

"The leader then said to give this to you. He said you would look like him. He also told me to say not to open it until after sunset, or the color will fade from it. It's one of those pricey evening stones."

Emily asked her, "Did he say what his name was?"

"He simply called himself Lord Kunzite." (By the way, it is pronounced "Koon-zite.")

Lord Kunzite? Emily thought to herself, _Maybe I'm the princess of gemstones? Who knows?_

"Thank you very much. You've helped me a lot."

"The police finished their investigation a while ago. There was no sign of ice damaging the guardrail."

"Thank you."

Emily took the box and left. It was getting too weird.

Later that evening, as she got back to her loft, she opened the box and looked inside. It was a beautiful pink stone set in platinum and diamond accents. She put it on her finger, and it fit perfectly!

The box also contained a note, which said:

Dearest Emily,

_ I know you have a lot of questions, which I will explain to you in time. Your car had been sabotaged the night you crashed, and I wanted to make sure you are doing well. I also know your parents have told you the truth about your heritage. I will contact you shortly._

_ Your loving father,_

_ Lord Kunzite_

Emily scrunched up the note, threw it away, and finished her papers. She then went to bed at about 2 a.m.. She had another day off in a row, so she could sleep in until 9 a.m., which was the time she just naturally got up, whatever time zone she was in.


	7. Chapter 7

Blossom was transported into a room with a piano and large canopy bed with four giant carved posters depicting giant beanstalks, pink brocade curtains, lots of pillows and a green satin coverlet with little cherry blossoms stitched on it was waiting. There was a large armoire with plenty of clothes, all her size, and what looked like a large stereo system seemingly carved into the rock plates of the giant castle-like space. There was a pink satin nightgown and pink see-through robe trimmed with marabou feathers laying on her space. She changed into the clothes and went to sleep, hoping it was all a bad dream.

She woke up, and realized she was in the same space. She went over to the piano and began playing. Some of her favorite music was Chopin and a little Beethoven. She did not realize how long she had played until she saw a woman knocking at the door. She looked somewhat bizarre, having orange eyes and green hair in the shape of a spiky mullet, with brown skin and spikes coming out of her arms twirling down as if she were a kind of rose. She also had a giant rose for a hat.

"Excuse me, your Highness. Breakfast is ready."

She produced a plate of muffins and a chair spiced latte for Blossom to enjoy. How did these people know?

"Just the way you like them, your Highness."

"Thank you. How long before I have to meet anyone?"

"One hour. Until then, eat and get dressed in your best." She left immediately.

She ate the miniature muffins slowly, and they tasted the best they ever had. She then went into the closet and pulled out a beautiful green top with ruffles, a black high-waisted skirt and black jacket. She looked freakin' fabulous! She then pulled her hair into a demure high ponytail, with a green barrette. She finished the look with green patent leather pointy toe pumps, a green-mottled cabochon necklace, earrings and ring with a sparkling purple gem on it. She was ready to face this new queen.

Just then, the rose-woman came back, and led her out to a scary-looking carriage with black horses pulling it. Inside, there were two pink velvet benches, and a table in the middle for anything. The carriage pulled out of the castle where she was, and went across a field with dark trees surrounded by great hills with a strange lavender haze around it. She marveled at this wondrous sight. Then, the carriage went up a giant mountainside, with the path carved out almost perfectly. It led to a giant castle where there stood a drawbridge. After some conversation in a strange language, they went inside.

It was there that the carriage arrived, and the rose-woman led Blossom out of the carriage, up a giant stairway, into a throne room, with various wild creatures about. They all bowed to her, and then the rose-woman led her back to Queen Beryl, who stood by her throne.

"Good morning, my dear Blossom. I take it you've met Posey?"

"Why, yes, your Majesty." She curtsied quickly.

Queen Beryl smiled. "My dear, you will come to like it here very well. Come, I must officially give you your title and your mark."

The Queen led Blossom and Posey down a long hallway, to a room where a giant fire was housed.

"Great Metallia, your new Princess has Come."

"Good, my dear. It is only the first of four, you know."

Beryl turned to Blossom and said, "You must go and step through the fire."

Blossom slowly, with extreme trepidation, went slowly up to the fire. It burned hot and wide. She then turned back, hoping for some sign. Then, she stepped inside.

The heat and pain consumed her quickly, but suddenly, she was on the other side, without any evidence of the burning! No smell, not even the slightest singe was on her body or her clothes.

The fire, Metallia, said, "I have consumed and restored you. You are forever bound to the stone Zoisite, as your father was."

Queen Beryl then replied, "That is good, young lady. It proves you are one of us by blood. I shall now present you to the court."

Beryl led Blossom back to the Great Hall. She then proclaimed, "This young woman is known as the Supreme Commander of Europe. Her title, and all its privileges, are hereby given to be used at her disposal. You shall respect and obey her as thus."

All the court bowed down to the young woman. She smiled - nobody could even begin to believe this!

"What is your first decree?" Beryl asked.

Blossom proclaimed, "My first duty as the Supreme Commander of Europe is this: We shall have a ball to celebrate."

"I like how you think!" Replied Queen Beryl.

That evening, everybody gathered to celebrate and dance to great music, food and wine. They all danced until after the sun came up, and then they all rested.

The next day, Blossom began her training as the Supreme Commander of Europe.


	8. Chapter 8

The Inaugural Ball to celebrate was that night. Blossom had to choose a wonderful outfit to show off her new position. What was she going to wear?

Posey suggested a gold ensemble with pink sakura to float. It was wonderful. The very thought of floating on gold made Blossom very happy. She chose the blue zoisite earrings to go with it, and the blue shoes to wear. The white sakura blossoms made her exquisite. She was going to look beautiful, and, for no reason at all, she wore an indigo mask, which she would remove at just the right moment. She was ready to go.

The carriage arrived, and Posey took the young lady down and said goodbye. Eventually, the castle came into view. The courtyard, and then the arcade leading to the great hall were all lit with candles, and then Posey led her to the Doorway of the New Citizen where she would be enter. There was a vast sea of youma waiting for her introduction. Then, at Beryl's command, they all knelt.

Queen Beryl turned around and, catching her eyes, smiled.

In a whisper, she said, "That mask will now be part of the ceremony. I like it."

"On our quest to obtain the Commanders of the Earth, it is my pleasure to introduce the first one to have returned. She is the Commander of Europe. Her name is Blossom, of the vein of Zoisite!"

Blossom stepped through the doorway, and pulled off her mask. Everybody bowed.

"In the tradition of the kingdom, every Commander must dance with the Queen, or one of her descendants, whichever is appropriate. In my stead, my son Heliodor will take the dance."

As soon as she spoke, a gorgeous man with golden waves of hair and green eyes came to Blossom's side. He wore a black, iridescent-piped uniform with a high Mandarin collar, fold-over lapel, black pants and black boots. He wore green epaulets and his hair was thrown over the back of his shoulders.

"May I have this dance?"

"It is the custom."

As they danced, Blossom's feet got stepped on three times. The two of them did not speak much, but Heliodor tended to look away. He also seemed uncomfortable with this many people in the great hall.

Once the dance was done, Heliodor was gone. Eventually, Blossom decided to forget about him for the night and enjoy the fabulous soiree that was thrown in her honor. There were waltzes, champagne, sumptuous hors d'oeuvres and champagne being served everywhere. She loved the way the ball seemed to go, and she enjoyed herself quite well. The ball lasted for hours, and then Blossom slept until late in the morning, and soon began her training.


	9. Chapter 9

Stone and jewelry appraisers were the Vaziris, and Emily was one of the best in the business. Even if remembering the men who saved her was an eerie new reality, she would still get to be the best stone and rock appraiser in Lexington. The new store her family opened was in the best place ever-an iron commercial shed just off route I-27 in East Jessamine County. That did not seem a great place, but there were some people who owned horses and large parcels of land around here (and that's usually a sign of good money). Kentucky was an idyllic place, with almost nothing like it seemed.

The store was a coated-iron structure, with a golf shop, antique store and Mexican restaurant that served tacos with free limes, a salsa bar with marinated carrots, and _REAL CHALUPAS!_ You know, the kind in the shape of tiny little boats? No Taco Bell flatbread mutations here! The windows were blacked out, with big red neon signs saying JEWELRY and OPEN in them. Inside were several counters with displays of journey diamonds, engagement rings, large birthday stone pendants, and the centerpiece, a thick glass display in the center of the back showroom wall with large rocks of emerald, heliodor, tanzanite, thulite, carved purplish and dark green jade, and the biggest kunzite stone mined out of the Pala deposites near San Diego. The kunzite stone was set rising out of its spodumene deposit, carved in a large baguette. It was very difficult to keep the stone polished, Mr. Vaziri would say, because it could have cleaved into two very easily. The store was blacked out and the least daylight let in as possible due to the presence of this large stone.

Emily loved the colors of the stone very much-lilac, pink, and even some purple, and was promised the stone in the family estate. She never quite knew why, and perhaps it was the note of the man who called himself Lord Kunzite that brought that harrowing night back on the 68 by the river. Somehow, looking at that stone gave her peace.

The days never seemed brighter. Emily got great marks in her classes, no tornadoes hit the places she had been, the family house was easy to get, and Emily had made almost miraculous progress with her broken leg. She only had to walk with a cane, and that would soon end. There was no need to worry-or so the family thought.

One dark, steamy night, there was a break-in at the jewelry store. Emily was closing up, so she went there to protect the merchandise. The robber was a woman who had pink hair, purple clothing and a mask on the lower part of her face. It was rather odd, but she somehow got past the ultra high tech security system created in Irvine, California for the shop. Somehow, she was there.

The woman came out from behind the counter, threw a necklace at Emily and ran out the door. Emily hobbled with her cane to her car, got in and drove after her. They raced through several places in the city, and then out to several farms in the countryside.

Emily finally cornered the robber behind a house that had been abandoned. The robber went inside, and Emily followed. Pistol ready, she fired one warning shot. She went inside, and cleared several rooms before she had finally caught the burglar in the living room. The robber then dropped the bag, put her hands in the air, and cocked her eyebrow.

"I've caught you now, you thief!"screamed Emily.

"This was easier than I thought," the burglar sneered.

She raised her hands, and suddenly several boards caught on fire. There was an explosion, and then the floor caved in. The fire glowed white around her, like some sort of wormhole. Soon, Emily found herself in the basement-but this was no basement. She was surrounded by a circle of stalactites, in the center of a crowd of cheering monsters. Most of the faces did not even look human in this crowd. Four of them suddenly jumped in and pushed her to the ground, and even though Emily fought as mightily as she could, they overcame her. The burglar then clamped a neck manacle around the girl's neck, then her wrists, and her legs. They put some sort of silencing mask on her head and then she was placed in a hanging cage.

Meanwhile, outside in the real world, cops came to the scene. There, they noticed the house had collapsed, but Emily's car and ID were still there. Also, the bag of stolen jewelry had been left there for anyone to pick up. There was no ransom note.

Soon, the procession went through the kingdom, up to the dark castle with the drawbridge. There, it went through the courtyard, to the keep, and finally into the throne room, where the robber presented Emily, trapped in her cage, to the woman on the throne.

She seemed much less otherworldly than these creatures that captured her. The only thing that marked her was a pair of horns jutting out from her shoulders. She had dark eyes and red hair. She was tall and statuesque, with a long violet dress that had a train, and a large, sparkling gem necklace with multicolored stones, a large chicken-bone jade boomerang with a black onyx stone, and a larger stone wrapped in cord above that, presumably as a crown.

Strangely enough, she looked like that long-lost British billionaire Brandie Richardson, owner of Immaculate Traders.

"Oh, you poor thing, look what you've been through!"

"Don't give me any of that good cop, bad cop charade! I bet you ordered these minions to kidnap me!"

"Well, well, well, you're just as insolent as your father. Quite a difficult prize of the new millennium to hold, I see."

"My father will come after you! So will the cops and everyone in Kentucky!"

"Oh, no, dear, Kentucky can't reach you _here_. You're all mine, due to your real father."

Emily scowled at the woman. "Why did you bring me here?"

"Do you remember your father telling you about your adoption?"

"Yes. What do you know about it?"

"You were the children of my noblemen. I had to get you to safe homes. It turns out you were my best placement."

"Hmph. That's awful funny coming from Brandie Richardson."

"That name no longer has any meaning to me."

"Now we're quoting Star Wars?"

"No, you INSOLENT BITCH!" She threw an electric shock at Emily, who screamed in pain.

"I am Beryl, your new queen."

_Great. I've been kidnapped by circus freaks led by Eurotrash,_ thought Emily to herself.

"Oh, darling, I'm not Eurotrash. I'm the real thing."

"Well, I guess this cage is my new home then?"

"No. I'm taking you to your quarters right now."

The cage door appeared and swung open, with steps suspended in midair leading to the floor. Emily stared at it.

"Time to go to your suite, dear."

"My suite?"

"Would you rather stay in the cage?"

Emily carefully stepped down to the floor.

"Will you try to escape?"

"Yeah, in another dimension in front of the queen, with five hundred minions around."

The shackles came off, and she was given a servant, who looked like a giant horseheaded woman. The horseheaded woman gave Emily a magic carpet to sit on, made of white with silver lacing and tassels. Emily and the horsehead woman sat on the carpet, and it flew her to a large castle with four giant turrets. The carpet flew them to the southern tower, where it came to a balcony.

The balcony was large, with a rock door leading to the suite. Inside, there was a large white and lavender bed, a white armoire, and a white stand with a large mirror and many drawers on the side. There was also a white laptop computer on a table and table for making dresses and other articles of clothing. Also, a lavender and blue nightdress lay on the bed for her, with her name stitched on one of the straps. She could get used to this.

The horsehead woman came to her side.

"Is there anything I could do for you, your Highness?"

"Yes, please. I never got your name."

"I am called Mare Leah."

"Thank you. Mare Leah, could you please bring me decaffeinated coffee and a proper set for it? I like coffee very much."

"Of course. I will be back soon."

Mare Leah left on the flying carpet.

There was another person on the balcony. His hair was gold, styled in the curls and waves of Queen Beryl, but he had beautiful, jewel-like eyes that were green and blue at differing times.

She remembered him from several weeks ago, when he was at the Mexican place by the shop. He had a chimichanga, and wore all kinds of motocycle leather. She could not resist giving him her phone number.

"Good evening. I'm Heliodor."

Suddenly, Emily sprang into action. She kicked Heliodor to the ground, and grabbed a sword from a pink pair on the wall. Heliodor looked at her in amazement, his eyes fixed to the blade-or was it her breasts?

"So it is true. You're Kunzite's daughter!"

"Well, this is something I learned the hard way. Never give a guy your real phone number."

"What? I never knew they were going to capture you! I would have simply taken you to the Bahamas."

"YOU GAVE THEM MY PHONE NUMBER!"

"No, NO! I never gave them your number. It's in my wallet! Besides, is this how you greet the Crown Royal Prince?"

Emily lowered the blade.

"Does this mean I face execution?"

"Okay, you're talking to the wrong guy. I just came by to see who you were. I didn't know it was you at that restaurant."

"So, you never gave them my number?"

"Never. I was just relaxing, taking in the countryside. My mother said I could have a day to find a girl to take to the Bahamas."

Soon, Mare Leah returned, with a hot pot of coffee inside a French press, sugar, cream and a few flavoring shots.

"Your Highness, what is Prince Heliodor doing here?"

"He's a guest. Do not worry, he's not sleeping here."

"Well, that's not any problem. Truth is, Queen Metallia says the first woman he has an interest in will be his true love."

"Says Metallia."

"Do not doubt Queen Metallia. She is the true ruler and protector of the Kingdom."

"Uh, the Kingdom?"

"That is where you are."

"Mare Leah, would you set the coffee down on the table and let us be alone?"

"Very well, then. Heliodor, your mother is expecting you back in two hours."

"Okay."

"Good night, everybody."

Mare Leah left. Heliodor sat down at the table. Emily poured them coffee, and he took one of the flavoring shots.

"How long have you been here?"

"Only an hour or two. What brings you here?"

"Meeting my Bahamas girl because she ended up down here."

"So, you were scoping out chicks at the Mexican restaurant next door?"

"I was eating a Chimichanga meal and waiting for somebody to come from there. The minute you stepped in the door, your eyes shined like emeralds, and you were lit from behind, like an angel. You picked up the order, went over to the salsa bar and then came to me."

"So, you weren't working with these people? You're the son of their ruler."

"No. I didn't even know you existed. Just seeing you for the first time was like something inside me stirred to action. I was coming back to ask you out this Friday."

"How did you know I was here?"

"There was a commotion. I had heard there was a capture of another daughter of the Kings. Did you see me over in the corner with the girl in the gray outfit?"

"No. There were so many people there that I could hardly see anything."

"There's no doubt in my mind that girl I saw was you. One of these days, we have to have lunch together. How about next week?"

"Sure. Why don't you go home so your mother doesn't worry about you?"

"Okay. I'll be dancing with you at your Inaugural Ball tomorrow. Good night."

Heliodor left. Emily thought he was kind of sexy.

Emily took off her clothes and went to bed (she preferred to sleep nude). This day was hard enough.


	10. Chapter 10

Emily woke up and felt the pain in her legs from last night's chase. The ankles had healed well, but with complications. She found another coffee set, with hot coffee in it. Mare Leah stood by her bedside, and, with a smile, patted her head.

"I understand every bit of what you said. All the youma do."

_Youma? What's youma?_ thought Emily. She had never heard the word before.

"If you don't know, we Youma are your servants, and your glad subjects."

"That explanation will do just fine. Come, I want to go to my table and eat."

Mare Leah carried Emily to the table, where there was a plate of huevos rancheros, with tortillas and pure butter. She ate heartily, and then went to the closet, where there hung various outfits for various occasions.

"What do you suggest I wear for this initiation?"

"It is wise to enter in your best dress, for you will be given a high title, and I believe Queen Beryl will want to throw a ball for you."

"Very well. Is there a gorgeous gown in there?"

Mare Leah pulled out a sequined sky blue gown which was off the shoulder, with a strong collar, and showed off her wonderful figure. Emily found a pair of gold stilettos, a gold kunzite studded sweetheart choker, and several rings with smaller stones. She put on small chandeliers and swept her hair in a graceful updo with several jeweled pins. All her jewelry matched, and matched well.

"You look amazing. Come, let us go to the initiation."

Mare Leah and Emily went to the ground on the carpet, and went to Queen Beryl's palace. Over hills and valleys shrouded in darkness they went, and stopped at the familiar drawbridge and courtyard. This time, footboys led Emily to Queen Beryl's chamber, and she was announced like a visiting dignitary would have been, with medeival trumpets.

All the youma kneeled and curtsied to the passing, and Queen Beryl came to the forefront.

"Good morning, my dear Emily. I hope you've slept well?"

"Yes."

"I understand you have a few questions to ask me, but that will come after the initiation."

"Very well. Let us go."

Beryl led Emily down a long hallway, down a staircase and to a room where a giant orange flame being flared at their arrival.

"Good Morning, Beryl. I see it is the leader you have brought this time."

"Yes, my queen. She is hesitant, but she is ready."

"I am." Emily replied, affirming Beryl's charge.

"Good morning, Emily. Come, step inside me."

Emily hated the idea of that, but stepped in anyway. The flame burned Emily through and through, and after what had seemed like forever in pain, she was on the other side again, looking as though she had never been touched.

She noticed, however, her hair had turned from black to bright white.

"What is the meaning of this?"

The fire, Metallia, said, "I have consumed and restored you. You are forever bound to the stone Kunzite, as your father was in his initiation."

"Did this change my hair?"

"Your father's hair changed also. It is a sign of the stone binding."

Queen Beryl then replied, "That is good. It proves you are one of us by blood. I shall now present you to the court."

Beryl led Emily back to the Great Hall. She then proclaimed, "This woman is known as the Supreme Commander of the Middle East, and the Supreme Commander. Her title, and all its privileges, are hereby given to be used at her disposal. You shall respect and obey her as thus."

All the youma bowed, and Emily curtsied by them.

"I proclaim that an inaugural ball be held tonight, and tomorrow I shall go into training."

Queen Beryl smiled. She was glad that Emily thought the same way as she.

Emily turned to Queen Beryl. She knew what Queen Beryl was thinking, too.


	11. Chapter 11

Blossom was finally done with her magic training that day. She was a fast learner. Posey and Ninjana had a scroll from Queen Beryl. It had a proclamation on it, which Posey handed to her.

** A Proclamation from Queen Beryl**

**You Are Cordially Invited to Attend the Inaugural Ball for the Supreme Commander of the Middle East and Supreme Commander, Emily Victoria of the Kunzite Clan.**

There was a Supreme Commander she had to answer to now? This was a terrible thing. Queen Beryl, Ninjana and her other trainers were demanding of loyalty enough, but now she had a Supreme Commander. And what was this Middle East Commander going to be like? She was dismayed. At least she had a new yellow dress to wear with all this.

"Your training is done for the day. Please, go and ready yourself for the ball."

Blossom had complete control over her own Inaugural Ball, but what was this Emily Victoria wanting, and what crazy things do Middle Easterners like to do to celebrate? Belly dance?

Blossom's own ball was a classy, elegant ball, with waltzing, celebration dances, and a lot of hors d'oeuvres and champagne. Who knew what Middle Easterners liked to eat? Probably their women.

Back in her suite, Blossom's golden gown was floaty and thin, like out of a dazzling Cinderella production. It had a tight brocade bodice and floaty chiffon-layered skirt, and the shoes would move with her, dazzling and spellbinding at the same time.

She went back to the celebration, but on the way, she met a kind human woman, who was tall, well-built and wearing a white suit jacket with a cape and full skirt, with a pink, sequined bustier underneath. The woman's hair was loosely clinched into a pink barrette, and flowed down to the cape, resulting in an elegant look reminding Blossom of a white-haired horse. She wore a mask of iridescent pink, similar to the one Blossom herself wore in a shade of sparkling indigo.

"Good evening, miss, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine, ma'am."

"No need to be so formal with me. I don't bite people's heads off."

Blossom was relieved at her dry wit, and giggled a little bit. _She seems nice,_ thought Blossom. _Not a complete bitch like Beryl._

"You'd better be careful with such thoughts running around in that head of yours. Queen Beryl is a very needy lady, and I have known this since my initiation."

"How did you know that-"

"Shhh-! It's a part of my new powers. I've had trouble trying to keep people's thoughts out, but I know I will soon find training to learn how to control it."

"Well, I'm running late for the Inaugural Ball. Hope to see you there."

"Don't worry, you will."

Blossom raced off ahead of the lady. As she arrived, the youma Tetis showed her to her assigned post. The lady Blossom met in the hall entered from the Doorway of the New Citizen. Then, Beryl raised her scepter and spoke.

"To all of those who brought this young woman down here, she has been quite a challenge, but as you all know, I have made this woman the Commander of the Middle East, and the Supreme Commander. Her name, is Emily Victoria, of the vein of Kunzite."

Emily Victoria pulled off the mask she wore. She was stunning, with darkly tanned skin and amazing silvery blue eyes, to complement her glowing white hair.

"As is the custom, the first dance the Commander has is shared expressly with the Queen, or the Crown Prince, whomever is the more appropriate partner."

Just then, the handsome, albeit shy Prince Heliodor came to the floor. His golden waves and eyes, blue this time, complemented his blue dress uniform with golden piping and now blue epaulets. While the two of them were dancing, they seemed to speak kindly to each other, but Emily was somewhat cold. At several points, Heliodor stepped on Emily's feet; she winced ever so slightly, but she still smiled at him. When the dance was done, she whispered in Heliodor's ear, and Heliodor blushed. Who knew what deviance Emily's mind hid behind that white veneer?

Blossom enjoyed several dances, including some folk ones that involved putting Emily in a chair and carrying her about the room. Blossom thought this was weird, but this was no stranger than the Irish Step Dancing she led with so many of the youmas. Then, there was a conga! Everybody loved to conga, even Queen Beryl!

It was morning before the ball stopped, and Blossom went happily to her home suite with one of the male youmas there, who was extremely fond of her.

Blossom had a day to rest, and then she was back to her training.


	12. Chapter 12

As Emily began preparations for her ball, which included oil and honey mixed with lotions, a salt bath and beauty regimen, she chose an outfit worthy of presentation, but with a splash of fun. She chose a pink sequined bustier over a satin ballgown skirt, short white tuxedo jacket and cape which swept to the floor. She chose simple white satin pumps and a pink kunzite barrette. She had no idea why she had been drawn to this precious stone all her life before today, but she knew that it was in her blood one way or another. She chose tiny studs this time, for the outfit was quite showy enough. She put the inaugural mask on, and she was ready for the ball.

The loyal and proud Mare Leah led Emily to the carriage, and then back to the courtyard to drop her off for the ball. As she was halfway down the arcade, a girl ran into her. The girl wore bright blonde curls, a golden dress consisting of a tight brocade bodice and floating layers of chiffon, and was very dismayed at being late. She knew that the young girl was Blossom Zoisite, only 19, the Commander of Europe, had been in training a week, and did not know who she was or that she had gained psychic powers as a result of her initiation. She simply engaged in polite conversation.

"Good evening, miss, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine, ma'am." (Emily knew Blossom was nervous when meeting new people, especially ones dressed as her.)

"No need to be so formal with me. I don't bite people's heads off."

Blossom was relieved at her dry wit, and giggled a little bit. _She seems nice,_ thought Blossom. _Not a complete bitch like Beryl._

"You'd better be careful with such thoughts running around in that head of yours. Queen Beryl is a very needy lady, and I have known this since my initiation."

"How did you know that-"

"Shhh-! It's a part of my new powers. I've had trouble trying to keep people's thoughts out, but I know I will soon find training to learn how to control it."

Blossom began getting nervous at Emily's mention of powers.

"Well, I'm running late for the Inaugural Ball. Hope to see you there."

"Don't worry, you will."

Emily smiled as she watched Blossom run off to get to the ball. She was fashionably late, but as long as Emily was not there, Beryl did not seem mind.

When Emily arrived at the Great Hall, the woman who captured her was ther to greet her. Emily looked in her eyes and said, "I understand your ambitions. Lead me to where I need to go."

The youma, whose name was Ninjana, led Emily back to the Doorway of the New Citizen, where she timed her to enter, and Queen Beryl spoke.

"To all of those who brought this young woman down here, she has been quite a challenge, but as you all know, I have made this woman the Commander of the Middle East, and the Supreme Commander. Her name, is Emily Victoria, of the vein of Kunzite."

Emily Victoria pulled off the mask she wore. Blossom thought she was stunning, as did the shy Prince Heliodor, who waited to dance with her, excitedly.

"As is the custom, the first dance the Commander has is shared expressly with the Queen, or the Crown Prince, whomever is the more appropriate partner."

Prince Heliodor came out. He was a vision in blue and gold, with his hair flowing, his eyes blue and his new dress uniform. Emily sensed Heliodor's excitement as she let him lead the dance. It was a waltz, and he wanted to dance with her.

"I have always dreamed of you, my dear. When I slept after my love consultation I dreamt of this night."

"That's nice." Emily smiled, brushing off his clumsy come-ons. She did not want to appear too easy.

"So, are you tired? You've been running through my mind for days!"

"Silly boy-I'm not impressed."

Heliodor stepped on her left foot. It hurt, but Emily still smiled.

"Let's just face it, Emmy. I think we're meant to be together."

"You're pushy. I've only known you for fifteen minutes."

Heliodor again accidentally stepped on her left foot.

"I'm looking forward to the day we will be married."

"Don't call the preacher yet; I'm not impressed." And with that, a step on Emily's right foot.

The dance was over, and Emily, leaning into Heliodor's ear, whispered, "I'll teach you how to dance while I have breaks in training."

Heliodor blushed. He was embarrassed, but appreciated the gesture.

Many people danced and ate, and Emily herself got a love consultation from one of the youma who did them. He said Emily would dream about lovemaking to her soul mate. It was the only way that she ever would.

When the party was over, she had a day of breaks to rest, since she had gotten her consultation and thereby had to dream. Beryl was not at all happy about it, since Beryl wanted to put her plans of reviving Metallia from her giant lava lamp state in action as soon as possible. (Of course, Beryl did not want to offend her new Supreme Commander, so she never revealed this.)

She pulled the dress off, buried the white shoes in the back of the closet (Heliodor's clumsiness was cute) and went to sleep.

As the dream got under way, she was laying on the beach in St. Petersburg. It was nighttime, and the moon shined bright, casting a blue glow on the sand, the waves, and then the mysterious man whose presence was announced by the arm with the perfect amount of muscle.

"Do you want to?"

"Of course."

"Close your eyes."

She did, and the man kissed her deeply, soulfully. It was just perfect the way he moved close, and delicately pressed his body to hers.

She then opened her eyes and found out-it was Heliodor! The man who stepped on her toes while dancing...but she was happy...

When she awoke, she was sad, because Heliodor was perfect for her in her dream. But he could easily turn into a monster if she let him in too easily and quickly. Her best friend in high school was taken from school by gunpoint because her boyfriend was a monster. (She survived; he recently died in Afghanistan.)

She would not let Heliodor know about this to keep this quiet.


	13. Chapter 13

The chair of crystal lay deep in a cavern below the Princesses' Palace. Emily went over the information in Blossom's mind during the day of rest to get a feel for the training she was about to receive.

Blossom's internment in the chair consisted of strapping her in, placing a black crystal over her forehead and laser-beaming mounds of information into it, in a matter of seconds. The education part of the process was over. Blossom took each education session like a hit to the head. She would have headaches afterward. Then, after an hour of rest, Blossom would begin training with the youma Ninjana - the very same youma who captured her by posing as a robber.

Emily did not like that she was being held captive, but she understood Ninjana's desire for the large reward of being the head of training. Besides, Blossom seemed to grow with the new information every day by leaps and bounds. Her training was excellent, and Emily knew what to expect. (Emily figured the telepathic abilities were Metallia's trick, in case Emily decided to "slack off" after her inaugural ball.) She did not care for or about Metallia, for she knew her family was having trouble.

There was one comfort there, too. Heliodor. There was the odd day that she hated him after a heated argument, of course. But the truth was, even on the bad days, she looked forward to the next day, when Heliodor would lunch with her all over again.

What Emily did not know was that her father, yes, the very same Lord Kunzite of the white hair and cape was calming and soothing the adoptive parents above, and helping them with the store that they had opened.

He came immediately, once Emily had been kidnapped. He held the same powers Emily had, since it was actually a characteristic of being bound to the stone of kunzite. His involvement with the family came out of genuine love, and out of the Vaziri's understanding of the paranormal. They knew they were weirdness magnets, but they did not realize it was due to the guardianship of Kunzite's real treasure until adulthood. The store turned a great profit in the area it held, for it was in the crossroads between some very profitable thoroughbred horse farms.

Lord Kunzite and the rest of the _shitennou_ were under the guardianship of Endymion now, which in turn was actually helping them to rescue their children (and his two secret ones) from the contract they had under Metallia, and Queen Beryl.

Queen Beryl started out as the younger sister of one of the Maenads, a shrine maiden who had competed against her for the position. In retaliation, she set out to gain the love and acceptance of the universe by winning the heart of Prince Endymion - the most eligible bachelor of the Silver Millennium - by any means necessary. She even carried his son, who was now Heliodor. But nothing could take Endymion's heart away from Princess Serenity, of the moon kingdom. She turned to Metallia, who came in an innocuous form of the occult, and eventually Metallia took over. Metallia destroyed civilizations on all the planets, except for Earth, called Terra, and killed Endymion, in hopes of capturing him.

Beryl was reborn as the British self-made millionaire Brandie Richardson. She was an explorer, extreme-sports enthusiast, and full owner of Immaculate Industries. Through her business ventures, she became fascinated with global climate change. And that is how Metallia found her again. She had given birth to a son, who was the reborn child she had with Endymion.

And suddenly, nobody knew how these four daughters of the Shitennou existed. How were they born? And when? Why did they exist?

Emily began her own sessions of training. Her educational systems were not nearly as jarring as those of Blossom, for she already had some sort of training through Blossom's eyes. The training began, and it was good. It took three months, unlike one for the rest of the Princesses, the other two being inaugurated each a respective week after another.

Ninjana taught her all martial arts the first day, then magic and teleportation, and finally the powers of telekinesis and wards. She could handle the swords on the bedroom wall, producing them at a moment's notice within one week.

Her only desire was to complete training to use these tools. She simply blocked out any emotion until she was finally alone, safe in her well-warded bedroom. (Her father had done the same many centuries ago, but she never knew the inner minds of anyone outside the Dark Kingdom.)


	14. Chapter 14

Grace went to Tampa over Spring Break, and what she did was the same as the other people: get drunk, get horny and get stupid. She was on the beach in St. Petersburg with her two best friends when this cute and sexy guy stepped up between them. He had long, dark hair and eyes, and was dressed in swim trunks, a boat vest and flip flops.

"Hi, I'm Gnarly. Would you like to go out on a boat with my friends?"

A couple of other men were standing out on a decked boat, drinks in hand.

Grace was happy to see all these cute guys and great fun.

Grace's friend Trina was not too enthusiastic about going out on the boat, especially when they seemed drunk. She wanted to hold back a little, but Grace and Charity encouraged her it would be harmless fun. Besides, there were ways to keep everyone safe, and they probably had it under control.

Eventually, all three girls went out on the boat.

There was a lot of drinking and boating, then a lot of skinny dipping, more drinking, more boating, then one thing led to another, and then there came great pleasure from Gnarly, and then Grace blacked out.

When Grace came to, she was inside a crystal glass cage, with the strangest woman staring at her. She had red hair and a large boomerang crown.

"I was wondering how long you would sleep."

Grace's head hurt badly. She was clearly in a hangover.

"I knew this would happen. I was never fond of Gnarly's inebriation strategy."

The woman tapped the cage, and it disappeared. Another woman, this time one with red skin and a purple bikini, came to deliver a fizzy drink.

"Take it. Take it well, my dear. It will cure you."

The fizzy drink tickled Grace's nose, but it tasted like orange and went down smoothly. In an instant, Grace was well again. She looked around, and she was in a large throne room. There were many hordes of men and women, all of them intent on what was happening on the raised platform where Grace and the red-haired woman stood. At least Grace wore a blue slip dress and kitten heels.

"Where am I?"

"You are inside the Golden Kingdom. I am Queen Beryl."

"What did you do with my friends?"

"Don't worry. They left the boat well and fine. You have been explained nicely."

Queen Beryl showed her an image of somebody looking like her partying with her friends.

"Who is that? Let me go!"

Grace ran down the steps, but the nobles surrounded her at every turn.

"Do not worry. Your classes and tests will be taken care of in the proper time."

"I need a drink."

"That's the last thing you need. You need to be shown to your quarters. Starya, take her away."

A woman came forward. She had hair piled high on her head, with a floating ring around it, and a robe with stars on it.

"I will be contacting you in the morning. You must show up in your best dress."

She bade Grace Goodbye, and Starya led her to a horse-drawn carriage.

The carriage led her down through the courtyards and just outside the gate, where a young woman with white hair looked and waved at her. Another woman led her away.

"Who was that woman that waved to me?"

"That is Emily of the Kunzite clan, the Commander of the Middle East and Supreme Commander. You will be Commander of North America."

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"You will learn in your training, after your Initiation and the Inaugural Ball."

"Initiation?"

"Yes. Metallia will purify you and bind you to the proper stone. It will all make sense tomorrow."

The carriage pulled up to a castle with four towers.

"I will show you to your tower."

Starya led Grace to the tower in the west and into a room with red and gold bedding, and gilded furniture. Everything was perfect-even a series of astronomy books, and a golden telescope. "Is there anything I could get for you?"

"Yeah. Could you get me a pepperoni pizza and hot wings?"

"Coming up."

Starya went away for a minute, and then came back with a pepperoni pizza and hot wings, with a frosty glass of diet soda.

"The glass is ever-filling, so you can drink all you need."

Grace began eating, and was finished with the personal pizza, wings and soda when she went and bathed. She then went to her bed, put on the pajamas and found a little toy for herself to play with - who was a little embarrassing, but somewhat nice.

She was busy playing with the toy in bed and fell asleep.

Starya woke her up, and gave her a breakfast biscuit with an egg and bacon, plus a cup of coffee. She then had Grace pick out a golden strapless dress, with red high heels and a dark green nephrite jade pendant and earrings.

Starya then took Grace to the carriage, where Grace was nervous about her initiation.

"It won't hurt much. You'll be restored and made new."

That made Grace scared.

Queen Beryl Starya and Grace down a long dark staircase to the dwelling of Metallia - a large orange flame, which responded by voice.

"Great Metallia, I have a child of the Nephrite clan."

"Bring her forward."

Grace stepped up to the fire.

"Come, my girl, don't be shy. Step into me and I will make you immortal."

Grace held her nose, tucked her head down and walked in. The fire burned her immediately (and painfully), and then she was suddenly new, with no sign of fire on her!"

Metallia said, "I have consumed and restored you. You are forever bound to the stone Nephrite, as your father was."

Queen Beryl then replied, "That is good, young lady. It proves you are one of us by blood. I shall now present you to the court."

Beryl led Grace back to the Great Hall. She then proclaimed, "This young woman is known as the Supreme Commander of North America. Her title, and all its privileges, is hereby given to be used at her disposal. You shall respect and obey her as thus."

All the court bowed down to Grace, who blushed.

"What is your first decree?" Beryl asked.

"My first duty as the Supreme Commander of North America is this: We shall have a ball to celebrate."

Queen Beryl smiled and said, "Let's be ready by 8 p.m. and we'll have a very good time." She then handed Grace a mask and said, "Put this on your face. You will be unmasked as part of the ball."

Grace took the mask and went back to her quarters. Suddenly, the books of astronomy and the telescope began to become interesting. There was also a chart beside it of various planetary positions. Grace studied it carefully over the next month.


	15. Chapter 15

Starya kept asking Grace so many annoying questions about her Inaugural Ball.

"What kind of music do you like?"

"What's your favorite color?"

"Do you like group dancing or couples' dance?"

Grace finally turned around and said: "Why can't you just read my $&^%ING MIND like you seem to do the others you have somehow captures?"

Starya's only reply was, ''There is so much blocking and self-denial in your mind that there is no way Queen Beryl can get into it.''

''Why would Queen Beryl want to get into my head?''

''She wants to plan your Inaugural Ball, with the perfect party in store.''

''Okay. Why can't she just do it?''

''There are a lot of repressions and denials inside it. We need a double strength power to get in there.''

''Fine. Bring it on.''

A knock came on Grace's door. She opened it.

''Good afternoon. My name is Emily, and I will be, um, getting inside your brain.''

''Oh. And how might you do that?''

''Well, the first thing is, there is a lot clouded opinions on what you like and don't like. Beryl said there was.''

With sarcasm, Grace replied, ''Wow, the Great and Powerful Queen Beryl.''

''Huge defense mechanisms, too. Lots of pain in your past-related to your mother. I see a lot of rejection and abuse on the family's part. How do you feel about that?''

''It's very hard to deal with. Fact is, the fact that I was adopted was a comfort to me.''

''Have you formed any opinions about things in college?''

''What?''

''College. Could you not help yourself to your own opinions in college?''

Just then, Emily gasped.

''I see something you don't remember. May I bring it up to you?''

''Um, sure.''

''Well, this may be hard to stomach, but there is a memory of an old woman doing nasty things to your younger self.''

''Old man? Who? How?''

''I think he may be your adopted grandmother.''

Suddenly, a flood of memory came back to Grace. There, in the presence of a complete stranger, was an aunt on her father's side putting her hand down her little bike shorts. Grace began to cry uncontrollably, saddened by her new pain.

''It's good to let your feelings out in front of me. That rage and grief is natural.''

''Natural? That's good, right?''

''Yes. It is good.'' She held up a tiny clock, which stopped when she pushed the button. Starya and the horse-headed youma Emily brought to the room were frozen solid in motion.

''Go ahead and cry or get angry as long as you need to. I have stopped time.''

Grace raged and screamed for what seemed hours. Then, she was healed and relieved.

''Are you better?''

''I feel better now. Does that help the cause?''

''Yes. In fact, Beryl has begun to choose several things for your ball already. I hope to see you there.''

''What should I wear to the Ball?''

''Whatever makes you feel like a true princess. It's up to you.''

As Emily walked out the door, she turned and offered this bit of advice: ''Be careful. Heliodor is still somewhat awkward at the dancing. However, he is very good at the Samba.''

Grace pulled out a long red strapless gown with sparkles and gold heels. For a finish, a thick stone choker with a large pendant made of red jade and matching earrings. She felt fabulous. She put on her makeup and red satin mask and was ready.

Soon, there was a carriage waiting for her, on which Starya and Grace rode to the castle. Once she was there, Starya led Grace to the Doorway of the New Citizen, with Beryl waiting intently.

Beryl held Grace's face, and said, with sadness, ''I am sorry about the kind of family you were given to. It was my fault you were given to them.''

Then, Beryl went to her position, and Grace entered the throne room. Inside was a series of glowing candles floating in the air as far as the eye could see. Grace was stunned at its beauty. She could also see Emily and another girl standing in their positions, both smiling at her.

"To those who brought this young woman down here, she has been quite a challenge, but as you all know, I have made her the Commander of North America. Her name is Grace Elizabeth, in the vein of Nephrite."

Grace pulled off the mask she wore. Emily and the other girl applauded, and they both stepped away.

"As is the custom, the first dance the Commander has is shared expressly with the Queen, or the Crown Prince, whoever is the more appropriate partner," were Beryl's next words.

Heliodor, this time in red lines in his suit, came up to her. ''I have been told I dance a pretty mean Samba.''

He actually did. It was very fun and exciting, as were the rest of the festivities. At one point, Grace went to the back wall to look at the former Shitennou, one of whom was a blonde, young-looking man in a blue lined suit. She hoped to see him very soon.

After a time-stop of resting after the ball, Grace was refreshed, and took on her training the very next day.


	16. Chapter 16

Grace was glued to the wall of television sets, with news of the Virginia Tech shootings radiating through many of the screens. 22 people dead. 25 people dead. 33 people dead. Two shooters? No - one shooter. Maybe.

Emily teleported into the television room on her scheduled break, wondering what the heck she was doing there. The shootings had only happened that morning. Emily herself was too busy dealing with her practice of psychic skills. Grace did not even notice her in there.

"What's up, Grace? Kintana is waiting for you to get to the martial arts training."

"Look." Up on the screen, there were images of Virginia Tech massacre reports, going on and on. There was a press conference with police and several heads at the university.

Emily had a vision: Grace was imagining some of her high school friends covered in blood and shot in the head. She could not stop it.

She then concentrated on the friends in the vision, and noticed they were simply crying and holding onto their new friends. One of them was packing her bags with laundry, change and personal items; another was posting fliers for a candlelight vigil that evening. They all wore Virginia Tech logo clothing.

Emily put her arm around Grace's shoulder. "Honey, all your friends are safe. They'll be at a vigil tonight."

"How do you know?"

"I told you. I'm psychic."

"I think I'm in shock."

"I understand. Is there anything I can do?"

"Maybe a friend to be there with?"

"Sounds good. Why don't we meet back here after our training to get a hot brown?"

"Sure. But where will we get a hot brown here?"

"I know how to make it. I've studied at UK."

"Wait. Were you that white-haired basketball dynamo Emily Vanderbilt?"

"It's Vaziri now. And I've been injured."

"We all know. I'm just glad I met you."

"Same here. Let's get to the training session and we'll arrange for some school color solidarity uniforms?"

"Okay."

"Back here after the sessions."

Emily transported out. She felt it would be better to simply wait until the information was there; at least a day or two. She also knew the school colors would be hideous in a uniform; she did not care.

The only question Emily felt would have answered through the media: What was a Hokie?


	17. Chapter 17

There were lots of vigils for the Virginia Tech people - she had a T-shirt from visiting it, but that was a lifetime ago. She had worn it all week - today she washed it for the third time by hand in the coed bathrooms. Today, she was going to simply rest in a coffee house on Telegraph Road. There was a head shop nearby, with some punks going in to buy "water pipes" to get stoned. She never believed in that stuff.

Suddenly, somebody snatched her purse. She went off into a dark alley to confront the guy and get it back. Somehow, this alley seemed to stretch on and on - until she got to the end, with the thief in her sights. She pulled out her fists and got ready to fight.

A thin black whip from behind wrapped around her wrist. She tried to pull with her might, but it would not snap off. Another one went to her other wrist. Another one pulled her legs together, and she fell over onto a pillow. Soon the pickpocket came up to her.

"You foolish bitch. Could have known you were so sexy."

He crouched over into a fetal position. He bulged green muscles out of his clothes and what looked like a false skin. Then, he grew a tail, and a pair of eyes were on his back. He sprouted giant claws on his feet, and his legs grew into green scaly limbs. His arms became similar, but his hands were giant claws. He had a pair of eyes on his back, then another pair farther up, and then he had four eyes, and a huge mouth which opened like a giant rubber band, and teeth were everywhere inside it, like giant daggers.

"Yooooouuu are MIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!"

Juliana screamed at the top of her lungs, but nobody was there to hear her. The monster grabbed her with one claw-hand and snatched up. A large tentacle with a foot long claw wrapped itself around her shoulders.

The monster carried Juliana through a warp in space, then across a series of darkened tree-lined fields. Soon, the monster went through the gate to the courtyard, and placed Juliana in a cage with four legs. Suddenly, the cage moved on its own volition and went up through the hall into the throne room.

On the throne was a woman with long red hair and a dark purple gown cut low, almost to the waist. She had a strange crown and a staff.

"I hope the Dark Scorpion kept you safe."

Juliana, still shocked, said a simple. "I'm fine."

"Please, let me introduce myself. I am Beryl, Queen of the Dark Earth Kingdom. You have been brought back because you have inherited a title."

"Title? Can I simply defect like my adoptive parents did?"

(Juliana had the cyrillic note translated, in which she learned of her origins. She did not believe in it until now. Come on, guys, a fantasy world in reality is hard to swallow!)

"You cannot _defect_ like those out of the Soviet Union. There is too much at stake here." She pointed to a woman with long black hair and green eyes in a blue jumpsuit. "Tetis, take the girl to her quarters. Explain to her what is happening."

Tetis walked to the cage, which opened up to let Juliana out. She then took Juliana by the hand and led her down the hall, past three women in atrocious maroon and orange Japanese Navy men's suits - one with red hair, one with reddish blonde hair and one with white hair and an orange cape, all with VT logos on the front. The one with white hair looked straight at her.

In Juliana's head, a voice whispered, "They made one for you. You can wear them for training the day after tomorrow."

She winked at the white-haired one. As Tetis led her out, she shook her head. Not even Hokies would approve of such a fashion atrocity.

After going to a carriage that floated, Juliana and Tetis went to a four-towered castle. Inside the one facing due East (Tetis told her this), there was an Asian-themed suite in blue, with a blue Chinese bed and a blue and gold lacquered makeup table, bathing quarters and huge closet, complete with huge selection of clothes that were all the right size and fashion!

"Is this all mine?"

"Yes, my sweetie," replied Tetis. "It is customary to give the Far Eastern Commander exactly what she likes."

Juliana sat down to a table, and Tetis opened a plate of sushi, with a lot of wasabi and pickled ginger. She ate her fill, and then got green tea ice cream and lychee nuts. Tetis lovingly helped her into a bath and into bed.

"Sleep tight, my little sweetheart."

The next morning, Juliana, still somewhat sleepy from the previous night's events, crawled out of bed, took off her pajamas, and took a shower. She then dried off and went to the closet. Inside was that atrocious Virginia Tech-themed maroon and orange uniform, with its boots. Beside it was a beautiful red cocktail dress with a big flower and green jade pin. It was her choice. Tetis soon came to the room with breakfast - a vegetable fritatta with toast and green tea. She ate heartily, and then dressed in the red cocktail dress, with creamy green jade earrings, bangles and her father's pendant, which she never let out of her sight.

She and Tetis were ready to go. The air was somewhat cold and moist inside this kingdom, as they traveled through the fields to Beryl's castle.

Inside the castle, footboys led Juliana to Queen Beryl's chamber, and she was announced like a visiting dignitary would have been, with medeival trumpets.

All the youma kneeled and curtsied to the passing, and Queen Beryl came to the forefront.

"Good morning, my dear Juliana. I hope you've slept well?"

"Kind of, but breakfast was good."

"I understand you have a few questions to ask me, but that will come after the initiation."

"Very well. Let us go."

Beryl led Juliana down a long hallway, down a staircase and to a room where a giant orange flame being flared at their arrival.

"Good Morning, Beryl. The final arrival is now set."

"Yes, my queen. She is hesitant, but she is ready."

Juliana stopped. "I am?"

Beryl whispered in her ear, "It would be wise of you to put those lava lamp jokes out of your head for now."

Juliana was shocked, but she simply did what Queen Beryl asked, and stepped in. The flame burned all of Juliana's body instantly. As fast as she had stepped in, she was on the other side again, looking as though she had never been touched.

The fire, Metallia, said, "I have consumed and restored you. You are forever bound to the stone Jadeite, as your father was in his initiation."

Queen Beryl then replied, "That is good. It proves you are one of us by blood. I shall now present you to the court."

Beryl led Juliana back to the Great Hall. She then proclaimed, "This woman is known as the Commander of the East. Her title, and all its privileges, are hereby given to be used at her disposal. You shall respect and obey her as thus."

All the youma bowed, and Juliana curtsied by them.

"I proclaim that an inaugural ball be held tonight, and tomorrow I shall go into training."

Queen Beryl smiled. "You are my favorite girl," she whispered in her ear.

Juliana did not know how to take this; she was still a little in shock.


	18. Chapter 18

As Juliana slipped into a royal blue Marilyn style dress (like the one Marilyn wore in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes for her big number) and creamy lavender cabochon jewelry, she went to the closet to pick out a pair of shoes. A pair of silver stiletto pumps were perfect. Her hair in perfect chin-length curls, and a green pearlescent mask for the revealing made everything perfect. She took one last look in the mirror and Tetis took her outside to her carriage.

The carriage looked like a Chinese Emperor's. She and Tetis went over the fields again.

Inside the carriage, Tetis spoke nervously.

"Darling, I would like to tell you something."

"Yes?"

"When you were conceived, you and the other commanders were placed in the wombs of four of us youma."

"Ancient test-tube babies? I thought that was not successful until the seventies."

"Queen Beryl had the power to incubate you in any way she could. What I am trying to say is, the woman who carried you is with you in the coach right now."

"How is that?"

"I carried you until birth. You were the most beautiful child I had ever seen. Many people thought so."

Julianne paused. She knew there was a voice in her dreams she did not recognize.

"Could you repeat that again?"

"What part?"

"Never mind." Julianne had finally found the owner of that voice. She was sitting right next to her in the carriage.

"It's a good thing I wore waterproof...mascara." Her eyes teared up.

Tetis put a handkerchief to Juliana's eyes. "You don't have time for that now, my dear. You need to focus on your ballroom ceremony."

The carriage arrived in front of the long hallway. As Tetis and Juliana went down, there were several youma - and three commanders - waving at them to come in.

Tetis led Juliana to the Doorway of the New Citizen, where Beryl spoke.

"To all of those who brought this young woman down here, she has been quite a challenge, but as you all know, I have made this woman the Commander of the Fat East. Her name is Juliana Jadeitevna, of the vein of Jadeite."

Juliana pulled off the mask she wore. All the crowd cheered.

"As is the custom, the first dance the Commander has is shared expressly with the Queen, or the Crown Prince, whomever is the more appropriate partner."

Heliodor stepped out in a red-lined outfit, ready to dance. He danced very well, considering he was now a great man at the tango. Somehow, somewhere, a voice told her that the tango was his best dance for tonight.

Many of the youma came to greet her. Apparently, her father had left an indelible mark on the kingdom, as did she, with her kind ways. Everybody gave her advice, greetings and warm welcomes. Emily Victoria, the Supreme Commander, in a Colonial military-inspired powder blue corset dress and jacket, gave her the sternest warning of all: "Don't let it get to your head. That was your father's downfall."

Juliana took the advice to heart, concerning she was Queen Beryl's "favorite," and sensing that Queen Beryl could turn on a whim, just like anyone else. For all the fun and loving Juliana had, she still seemed she was not fulfilling her purpose of being captured. There was something missing.

When Juliana had a chance, she would one day do something special for Queen Beryl, to earn the favoritism, and somehow use it to help others. It was giving back that helped Juliana in the past, and she was sure it would help her now.

After the ball, she asked Grace to stop time for the four of them to rest, and then get back to their training.


	19. Chapter 19

Juliana, wearing her Virginia Tech training uniform, stepped into Queen Beryl's room three days into her training. Beryl was seated on her throne, with a sad expression on her face. She held the crystal orb in midair between her hands, and watched it with sad expression on her face. With a pregnant pause, Juliana wanted to get into Beryl's mind, to understand how she felt. This was her primary mission: to take what she could get, and somehow give to the others. Beryl spotted her coming in.

"Oh, my dear, could you ever know my greatest regret?"

"What's that, your Majesty?"

"I had to give up my daughter to set her free."

Julianne thought of a few other regrets she was sure Beryl could have said. She decided to keep them secret, with a ward sewn into her headband.

"Maybe we could find her...and contact her?"

"I don't know if she would understand."

"Drawing a blank here."

"She had been diagnosed with Autism...but a very high-functioning kind. She needs to stay away from the Kingdom for now...until its purpose has been fulfilled."

"What purpose is that?"

"You will realize soon after training. I want my daughter to be safe, and feel safe in her world. She might not be able to live well if she does not."

"I see. Part of my college work has been with Autistic children, and I have seen a number of them. They range from practically normal and eccentric, to this one kid who liked to jump naked on a trampoline in his own room."

"We need not worry about such behavior with Janelle. Come, see what my orb shows us."

There was a small girl in a window sill, looking about twelve years old. She wore a thistle-colored sweater and boot-cut jeans. She kept by herself in the library while other children whispered nearby. The school bell rang and she was off to her class, without talking to anyone on the way. Julianne saw an item on her bag that said "Wildemere Middle School Class of 2007," and realized she was fourteen.

Julianne thought this was a little odd, but not too bad.

"Your Majesty, what's her name?"

"Her name is Janelle Tanaka, adopted by a blond and a Toyota auto factory chairman."

The two women then saw Janelle whiz through her class assignments. She worked through the assignments like a wiz, and Juliana realized Janelle was much smarter than she was at that age. She was in sophomore-level biology and Honors English.

Beryl then turned off the orb and wiped her eyes with a handkerchief Juliana had not realized she presented to her. Juliana put her arm on Beryl shoulder in reassurance.

"Between you and me, I hope we can meet this girl someday."


	20. Chapter 20

Blossom had enough of the ripping and tearing of the old gray uniforms. Her pants, boots and jacket all had rips and tears, with stitches included, and what was worse - they were this dull gray with yellow piping. She also knew of the other uniforms Queen Beryl had - juvenile little sailor dresses in black with colored bows and skirts. No thank you.

She held a meeting with the other Commanders as soon as her daily assignment was done to protest the ripping and tearing in the uniforms. It was in the courtyard of their own castle, with the four of them wearing different, and equally torn, outfits. Emily kept her jacket completely open to reveal a pink tank top and bra, with a white cape. After some good small talk and Juliana's passing around of stills of little Janelle, Blossom came right into the subject she had hoped for.

"It's time we designed our own uniforms. Who's with me?"

"We're all with you, but we've got to get another idea," Juliana revealed. "Beryl is very old-fashioned and needs to see the light. She hemmed and hawed about this last week, when I talked to her about it."

"She's also a good debater. She brings in tradition and the need to keep up the traditions of our fathers, who had died in their line of duty, even though mine is considered least with her," replied Grace.

Emily spoke up. "Well, it will take some planning, a new uniform presentation, and a strong united front. I can provide the lead to take the brunt of opposition. Juliana, you can model the new outfit. Blossom, you can talk about its advantages. Grace, we need you to compile the evidence that the uniforms are hindering various aspects of our training. Now, who's got an idea for a good uniform?"

The women were silent.

Emily decided, "Juliana, you've got a few ideas."

Juliana raised her head, and she looked for somebody to interject. Tetis handed her the sketchbook she received in her tower desk. There was a pink note on one of the pages.

"I kind of let Tetis know where the uniform I caught wind of you drawing was. Now, I think it's a great idea. All we need are some boots and our own touches."

Juliana opened the book to the marked sketch. It was a sketch of a sleeveless shirt dress with a standing collar, deep V-neck, belt and fierce cheerleader skirt with triangles splitting the bottom of the hem line.

"I designed it as a tennis or cheerleader outfit. It gives total freedom of movement while flattering most active bodies."

"You've got a good series of sportswear designs. For this one, all we need is size and color choice. Anyone have a main color suggestions?"

Blossom came right in with, "NOT gray. I hate gray. It doesn't suit me at all!"

"Right," said Juliana. "Too close to the original colors. What about black?"

"Same problem," said Blossom. "Too severe."

"White?" asked Grace, whose

"No! Gets dirty too easily."

"I have an idea," said Emily. "What about purple? Purple goes well with all our assigned colors."

Blossom thought a minute, and said, "Yeah. It goes great with yellow, red and blue."

Emily smiled widely. "Now, I will be in training until bedtime. You know your assignments. We'll prepare our case at breakfast."

As the girls parted, Mare Leah expressed her concern.

"Are you sure they can handle these without your guidance?"

"Yeah. I'll check on them at dinner, and then at breakfast. Arrange an audience with Queen Beryl."

Later that day, at dinner, they corroborated. Grace received the torn uniforms of Juliana and Blossom, with the promise to get Emily's at bedtime. They each created dressing dolls to have the youma make the uniforms. Emily delivered her uniform at bedtime, without repairs, plus her Virginia Tech uniform, also damaged, but repaired and damaged further.

At a scheduled group breakfast, they started in jeans and T-shirts, and changed into the uniforms - purple with their assigned colors as accents. They traveled together to Queen Beryl's castle, and stood as one.

Queen Beryl was not at all pleased.

"You've changed the uniforms again? The Virginia Tech stunt I decided, falsely I see, a small indulgence. Why have you broken with tradition again?"

Grace spoke first.

"Your majesty, the uniforms you originally provided us were of poor quality with the training we have received. The uniform you provided Blossom Zoisite here has various items with signs of obvious temporary repair and is in generally bad shape. The seams here are torn and re-stitched, there are patches on its joints and major wearing being constantly reinforced. As a matter of fact, this is the twelfth uniform she has worn. In order to show the damages, here is Emily Kunzite's current uniform, plus the Virginia Tech uniform she wore out in two weeks' time. You may see these things for yourself."

Then it was Blossom's turn, with Juliana as the model. "The uniforms we have designed and wear now are made of a sturdy, warm and lightweight fabric that has withstood major damages in the world we came from and in this present kingdom. The design of the uniform allows for maximum freedom of movement while flattering most bodies in movement. The color we chose is flattering to all of our skin tones, and yet still retains our regional command colors. We are still undecided about shoes, but we decided to get the uniforms passed before the shoes were picked out."

Emily stood and spoke to Beryl straight in the eye. "We felt there was a need for change, and all of us stand together to make that pledge."

Queen Beryl went to her crystal globe, and then looked, somewhat defeated.

"Metallia has informed me that she loves the choices you have made, and will honor them as the new uniforms."

Emily was satisfied, and spoke graciously. "Thank you, your Majesty. We will honor Metallia's decision."

Back in the carriage, Juliana spoke tersely to Emily.

"I have one request. Will you stay the $*&% out of my head unless I say you can go there?"

"I'll try. Nobody here knows how to control telepathy."


	21. Chapter 21

The Dark Kingdom had vomited out its four greatest inhabitants fifteen years ago, during the spring of 1992. Nobody knew it back then, but the highest height of that era was April 24, 1992. America remembers that day as the day of the Second Great L. A. Riots. Japan, however, remembers it as the Night of the Airport Fight.

The night before, a blond man appeared in the sky over Tokyo. He had challenged Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars - directly. The confrontation was to take place at the airport the next night. Jadeite had learned the identities of the three in the melee - but another fight later on killed him.

(A note: both the manga and the subsequent anime show major confusion concerning the Kings.)

Fifteen years to the day after these events, five Kings were sitting outside on a gazebo with cigars and brandy in hand, on the grounds of an estate house outside Georgetown, Kentucky. They decided that full identities connected to their daughters would be the best way to live. They purchased houses around Lexington, and now they were holding a get-together inside one of them. Jadeite hosted.

Tonight, the events of the past came into the present in their conversation. They laughed at their fights, now frivolous in the cool of the late evening sunset.

"Those days take me back," Zoisite mused, as he shook his head and took a sip of bourbon.

"Yeah," Nephrite replied, "What was the big deal we were fighting about?"

"Jockeying for position, I think," Jadeite mused.

"Who knew? Beryl seemed so insecure. Why did she not just tell me the simple truth?" Endymion shook his head.

"I don't know, maybe fear of rejection? Your wife was in your head even there."

"Well, chicks dig losers. Who understands them?"

"Jadeite, that's uncalled for. What's your deal with women?"

"I stand by them and give them what they want, and what do I get? Shoved out of the picture, that's what I get. I needed to be Prince Endymion."

"Jadeite, why couldn't you just tell Beryl the simple truth?" asked Kunzite.

"You see the eyes she had for Endymion? Prince of the whole $&^ &%#! Earth! How could you compete with that kind of position? I gotta take a walk." He got up and left.

The air was heavy and thick for a long time.

"What's his problem?" asked Nephrite.

"Boy, are you dense," Zoisite fired back. "He's still in love."

"With Beryl?!"

"Ever since she was the little sister of the Maenads. His jockeying for position was a way to try and impress her."

"So that was why he totally flirted with Usagi on the ship."

"Guys, guys," Endymion replied, "He'll tell the truth one day. It's destiny."

Jadeite returned. "So, any word on the girls?"

"Well," replied Kunzite, "No. All I keep getting is threats of destruction from Beryl. She won't tell anything, and I can't get any clues."

"How can you not get any clues? One was taken right here at an abandoned house nearby, two in Tampa, and one in San Francisco. What can we learn about their capture and Metallia's plans?"

Kunzite started in. "My daughter was caught chasing one of the youma who posed as a thief. It was probably Ninjana."

"Who's Ninjana?" asked Endymion.

"She was the top youma under my command. She knew all kinds of martial arts, and she carried my girl for years."

"So, can we say Emily has a definite sense of duty to society?"

"Yes. I chose the Vaziris for that reason. They are good people."

"Well," Nephrite came in, shaking his head. "Mine was captured off the boat in St. Pete, and a double has decided to disappear from Georgetown. She was a strong girl, but I don't know what happened to her."

"It's going with Queen Beryl's choice for a family. She's all outside, just like the family your daughter got tangled up in. It's a learning process."

"Not so much with mine," replied Zoisite. "Why didn't anyone foresee their death in a car crash?"

"I have no clue. I wish there was some kind of warning, but it came suddenly. I have a feeling Metallia was behind this."

"Well," said Jadeite, "I think I failed my daughter the most of all. She has no sense of self, or how beautiful she really is. She just fights everyone."

"Who knew America failed its larger women, or anyone who is not stick thin? Sometimes, a girl must find her beauty inside herself. When we get them back, we will show her the way."

"What about my own daughter?"

"Chibi-Usa? She's back in Neo-Tokyo, isn't she?"

"No. I have another daughter, one with Queen Beryl."

All of the Kings were shocked. Kunzite was first to break the silence.

"Well, I knew you guys were jumping each other's bones like teenagers, but she never had any sort of pregnancy I knew of."

"I know. You all died before she was conceived. One of my executives adopted her here. I'm just wondering which one."

"Your Majesty, I was wondering...would you know anything about your girl?"

"Well, I know she has a mild form of Autism, and she is half Japanese. Who knows what else?"

"So, we simply need to find an Autistic half Japanese adopted child, and we're in business to protect her. She's the last one untouched by Metallia."

"Speaking of Metallia, does anybody have any hint of Metallia's plans with our daughters?"

"She possessed Beryl last time she acted in power, to obtain that Crystal."

"Do you think she is planning something like that again?"

Kunzite shivered. "I hope not."


	22. Chapter 22

Emily went to Beryl in her new dress uniform with a white cape. She wore her hair in a chignon with a jeweled pin. No games or submitting today - just questions, and hopefully answers.

She stormed into Beryl's throne room, with Mare Leah and Ninjana by her side. She was not going to let Beryl take control of the conversation. She marched straight to the throne.

"I demand to speak with Queen Beryl!"

Beryl immediately rose and ordered the DD Girls to stop her. They did, just before she could ascend the steps.

"What is this insolence you have shown against me? I am your queen!"

"How do you explain the fact that you ordered your most distinguished trainer Ninjana not to teach me how to control telepathy?"

"How did you know?"

"Metallia gave me the power to read minds. That has helped me in many ways."

Beryl's eyes widened in terror. She immediately showed fear in her eyes.

"What is it that you are not telling me? I need to learn how to control it."

Beryl stood by the throne, and had to brace herself from falling. She was breathing fast, and her heart raced.

"You're troubled. May I tell you what I have learned?"

"Please, my dear, let me sit down."

"Fine."

As Beryl returned to her throne, visibly shaken, Emily began to reveal what flashes of information Beryl had floating in her head. Emily did not reveal much, for the sake of focusing on her question. As she was revealing, she sensed that Heliodor was watching her every word and move.

"I have seen that you have tried to read minds over the past few days but were unable to. The youma that you had audience with were disturbed with having to tell you what is on their minds. I also see when you were bound to beryl the way I had been bound to kunzite, you gained the same ability I had. Finally, Queen Metallia once took over your body while you were fighting the Moon Kingdom. I wonder what the point of that was?"

"How could you know such things?"

"It was what Metallia gave to me. I have no control over telepathy."

Beryl began to voice fear and anger. "You are not to know the history of this Kingdom. You have not been here long enough!"

"I have been endowed with telepathy and it has brought me many of my successes. I thank her for it, but I need to know why."

Beryl then began to yell. "You are banished from my presence. GO!"

"Fine! I will leave the Kingdom tonight!"

Heliodor cried, "NO!" It was then the entire room was focused straight on him.

"No! You can't go! I won't let you!"

Beryl smiled. "Tell her, my son. Tell her why you won't let her go."

Heliodor's green eyes realized what he thought he had revealed to Emily just now. But Emily knew already. She would not let Beryl see any intimate scenes with Heliodor, however.

"Because...you are a citizen of the Golden Kingdom, the Kingdom of the Earth! You are the Supreme Commander, the Commander of the Middle East. And if we lost the Supreme Commander, we would be ruined."

"Not good enough, dude." Emily wanted to know the truth, and Heliodor did not know it.

Beryl retained her composure and spoke.

"I will have your answers by the morning."

As Emily left the throne room, Heliodor followed her out. She shed a tear that nobody could see. Poor Heliodor, she thought. How can he be so naive?

When she wiped her face clean, she let Heliodor catch up to her and Mare Leah.

"What is it?"

"How can you just turn and run on Metallia? She will kill you."

"That is none of your business."

"I don't know what you think of my mother, but my mother is a kind, sweet and gentle woman, always glad to lend a hand, and she never gives up on anybody."

Emily turned to the youma and said, "I need to speak with Heliodor alone. Please, pack my suitcase and bring as much clothing and jewelry as you possibly can."

Ninjana and Mare Leah went away. Emily and Heliodor went into Heliodor's bedroom. He sat down on the bed and Emily began to rant.

"Do you even know what your mother did to try and overtake my planet? Did you even see how she controlled the minds of all the Kings? Did you even know how she treated my father?"

Heliodor jumped up. He looked straight in Emily's face.

"The Kings died at the hands of the Senshi. Small Japanese teenage girls. I don't even know how she handled it."

"Where were you when she activated the crystal in my father's forehead? Where were you when he had no emotion, no memory to speak of? Did you even see how it was only when the Moon Kingdom's Ginzuishou healed my father that he could mourn the deaths of his closest friends?"

"Where were you? Somewhere in the OC?"

"The memories, the tapestries, they divulge their secrets to me. I have no control over how these memories come. I have knowledge of how each King was killed, how little Jadeite could show his emotion because he was trained not to, how emotionally blind and masculine Nephrite was. I even know the truth about Zoisite and Kunzite."

"What? That they were gay?"

"No. They were not gay. They were close friends, but not gay."

"How do you explain Zoisite's girliness?"

"When Zoisite was a baby, some mad duchess captured him and raised him as a girl. Her daughter had died, and he became the replacement."

"How do you explain Zoisite moving into the palace with a bedroom right by your father?"

"He sleepwalked. Kunzite had to chain him to his own bed to keep him from sleepwalking straight off the balcony."

"Well, then, why did they..."

Heliodor had lost steam. He simply breathed heavily. Emily breathed in the exact rhythm and depth as Heliodor.

Heliodor gave up and admitted where he was. "I was sent to live in Australia when everything happened here. I had no clue what was going on."

"You sad boy. You never even knew."

Emily went off, but Heliodor grabbed her hand.

"What do you want from me? I can't stand it here any longer!"

"I can't bear to see you go."

He loosened the pin from her hair and it fell down her shoulders.

"What does it mean to you whether I go or not? You'll still be the Crown Royal Prince."

"Did all those conversations mean nothing to you? All those lunches?"

"They meant a lot to me. You're my best friend, Heliodor. I can say anything to you."

Emily paused. She realized what Heliodor's true motives were.

"What are you trying to not say? I already know."

Heliodor could deny it no longer. He collapsed onto the bed.

"I've been in love with you since the moment you walked into the Mexican Restaurant."

Emily was free to confess her own feelings she was brewing inside her.

"The truth is, I love you, too. We'll find a way out of this together."

Emily sat down and looked in his eyes. They began with a gentle kiss. Soon, their bodies were intertwined, but they still had their clothes buttoned up and together. They were in the process of undoing Heliodor's pants when there was a knock on the door.

It was Mare Leah and Ninjana.

"The Family Guest Suite is ready."

"Thank you, Mare Leah. I will take supper there."

"As you wish." Ninjana went off.

Heliodor slyly grinned. "We have until supper. Then, I will learn what she knows."

There was an awkward pause.

"Was it true what you said?"

"About what?"

"About being in love with me?"

Heliodor looked in her eyes and said this:

"Everything I have said in confidence is true."

Emily shed a tear, and they kissed again.

She suddenly had an intense desire to make love...

The time came to leave, which she dreaded.

Heliodor promised he would bring the answers she sought to her.

Emily went to the guest suite. In that room, there were large tapestries of the famed Shitennou and their exploits in the Golden Kingdom. There were various myths and legends there, plus a face ripped out of one. That same face was washed or faded out on other tapestries, too. However, there was one face that looked just like hers, but male, of course. His greatest tapestry to him depicted him helping to revive a sickened Pharaoh and slaying a large dragon.

In this suite were two bedrooms, with large beds, large enough to sleep at least two people in. There was also a series of entertaining media, a dumb waiter, and a big buffet with room for lots of food and drinks.

Emily sat and waited for her friends to arrive.


	23. Chapter 23

Everybody showed up to the bedchambers Emily stayed in. The very moment they showed up, all of them sent their main youma to specific tasks. Juliana sent Tetis to get all of Sex and the City; Grace got Starya to get the food; Blossom sent Posey for the music and Emily got Mare Leah to go get beauty products. Tetis also went on a secret mission to get Heliodor; she knew there was something special between him and Emily.

There were games, a few seasons of Sex and the City, and the Sex and the City drinking game to go along with it. The girls ate hors d'oeuvres and drank wine, and gave themselves makeovers. There was no training to bother with the next day; even Emily's training was done with as leader. Soon, there was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?"

Heliodor's voice, poorly disguised, called, "We are Venom!"

"Oh, no!" cried Grace. She was joking, obviously.

A man came in, in a black Spider-Man suit carrying a black bag. Emily stifled laughter and came over. She knew it was Heliodor. She pulled of the mask and kissed him.

"Okay, what's he doing here? This is a women's party."

"I had to come and get you. We're going to get out of here."

"What do you mean?"

Grace was stunned. "You mean this isn't a striptease?"

Disregarding Grace's statement, Heliodor continued.

"I snuck behind Beryl to find Metallia. I heard Metallia had a plan to posess your bodies."

"How did you get in there?"

"I was outside and sent a spyglass."

"No - I mean, how did you sneak behind Beryl?"

"Haven't you heard? Beryl has no psychic powers."

"What? That's crazy. How does she know what she knows?"

"Metallia tells her, but recently Beryl has held back a secret from it and Metallia is angry."

Juliana chimed in. "It must be Janelle."

"Who's Janelle?"

"Shhh. Someone could hear," whispered Emily. She did not want Janelle to get caught up in Metallia's evil plans.

"Well, let's all get out of here. Did you ward the room from being seen?"

"Of course. We're like Vegas in here. Whatever happens here, stays here."

Juliana chimed in. "Well, since you two hung out at my Inaugural Ball so much, let's leave you two alone."

Heliodor shook his head. Then he pulled up the black bag he was holding and set it on the bed. He pulled out some winter coats and passed them around to the girls, making them put them on.

"I had winter coats and suitcases packed for the journey out of here. We're under the magnetic North Pole, and we'll need them."

"How will we get to land?"

"I have transporter crystals. They'll get us out and then to the nearest civilization."

"Do we know if we'll end up in Norway, Greenland, Siberia or Alaska?" asked Blossom.

"What about Canada?" asked Grace.

"We'll find this once we get out. Does anybody have a relative to call?"

"I've got my parents. They're in Kentucky."

"Anybody else?"

"No, not really," came the chorus from the others.

"Well, I found your ID cards, and I've got some money, too. We'll get everything right somehow."

"Okay. Let's get our stuff."

The girls grabbed their bags, packed for a few days. They then grabbed some food and disguises. Blossom suggested they make false forms of themselves. All of them created forms from jewels they conjured, arranged in bed. Heliodor wanted to lay his form next to Emily, but she said to put it on another bed. They put on disguises, and left the room.

Once they got out of sight of Beryl's castle, into the chilly mountains, and put themselves in an ice cave to transport themselves to an iceberg large enough to carry all of them.

After that, they used the other crystals and found themselves on the outskirts of a town.


	24. Chapter 24

Grace looked around. The town, as a matter of fact, was a small town, with a warm feeling very similar to one in the Ohio Valley on a warm day. They were at the highway, with one at a dead end and one continuing. Grace spoke first.

"Uh, Heliodor, did you ever use the transport crystals before?"

"No, but I educated myself about them. Why do you ask?"

"I'm getting a funny feeling we're nowhere near Alaska or Norway. I need to change."

"Well, let's get going and find out where we are."

Heliodor took Emily's hand, and they walked down the road.

They began to walk down the ended road, and soon found out they were simply on the southern end of Nicholasville, Ky.

"Emily, did you somehow see this and not tell us?"

"Well, yeah. Say, let's find a phone and I'll call my parents."

At that moment, a car stopped beside them. Inside was none other than one of Emily's old UK teammates. Sandra Wilmore was in the car, getting ready to use her phone.

"Emily Vanderbilt? How did you get out here? And without a car? And in winter clothes?"

"It's a long story. Listen, can I use your phone? I got free without one."

"Oh, sure. Here ya go."

Emily made a phone call straight to the jewelry store. Since it was about eight in the morning, there was somebody there. As a matter of fact, it was Lord Kunzite.

"Vaziri's Jewelry and Appraisals."

"Hello, is Mr. Vaziri there?"

"Yes. Is this Emily Vaziri?"

"Dad? Is it you?"

"Yes, darling, it's me. I've waited so long to hear your voice."

"I've missed you too."

"Well, let me call your adoptive family and get them here. Who's with you?"

"There's four people with me. One of them is Grace Adler. No, it's not Grace Adler from Will and Grace. Then there's Blossom Stratford, Juliana Buchinsky and Heliodor. I'm gonna need a ride for all of us. We'll wait for you."

"Okay. I'll get someone to bring you. See you soon."

"Bye Daddy." Emily hung up the phone.

Sandra took the phone back, and she called a friend.

"Hey, Mom, I'm gonna be late. I got Emily Vanderbilt and some of her friends waiting for a ride on the south end of town. Yes, the girl who went missing four months ago. She's got friends and they need someone to wait for them. What? The news? Why?"

Emily grimaced. "No press. Not yet."

"Okay Mom. Don't call the news yet. I'm sure there's a reason. Okay, Mom. I love you. Bye."

Sandra hung up and shook her head. "She's gonna call the press. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. We can handle it."

A van with several seats came and turned around for them. In it was a man with boyish looks and curly blond hair.

"Hey guys. Looking for a ride?"

Heliodor recognized him immediately.

"Dude, it's Lord Jadeite! We're okay!"

As the others piled into the van and put on seatbelts, Emily finished with Sandra.

"We're okay now. Let's make it lunch sometime."

"How about tomorrow at Berger's?"

"Okay. I'm up for it."

"Two, okay?"

"Sounds good. Bye!"

As Sandra drove off, Emily joined the others in the van. The only available seat was next to Heliodor; the other girls were piled in the back.

"Watch your hands, buddy."

Emily's seatbelt was in place, and they went through town. They arrived at the jewelry store with their fathers waiting. They all came out to the van, with enthusiasm. As the girls went over to their fathers, it was clear whose child was whose, and they began to reintroduce themselves.

Grace had the most questions, such as why the family she was in, and so forth. Nephrite was clear and straightforward. He was under Beryl's control so much, that Beryl had to make the decision for him. He regretted joining the Dark Kingdom for that very reason. At one point, Zoisite saw tears streaming down his face. He came over and hugged Grace and Nephrite to console them, as Blossom joined in.

Later that evening, they went out to a big dinner and enjoyed everybody's company. Even Endymion was there. He was shocked at Heliodor's presence.

"Good God, boy. You look so much like your mother."

"Boy? Who the hell are you to call me boy?"

"You might want to learn a little respect when you-"

Lord Kunzite interrupted them. "Forgive me, your Majesty. I don't believe you have ever met Heliodor. He has just celebrated his one thousandth birthday."

"Forgive me, but I never even met you during my time in the Kingdom."

"My mother was very distant, and kept me shielded when she controlled her missions."

"Do you know anything about my presence down there?"

"Only that I was about to have a new Dad."

"Well, one of these days we'll find your real father."

"I've been told he was a prince of the Golden Kingdom."

"That's about six choices to choose from."

"I'm okay. Lord Kunzite was kind of a father for most of my existence."

Lord Kunzite interrupted. "So, why is Emily not like a sister to you?"

"I have none of your powers, sir."

"Very well." He was not too pleased.

"Say, how are you at a game of darts?"

"Sounds good. Is there a board?"

"Right over there."

The two of them went over to play darts.

As Emily and Kunzite spoke again, she was none too happy about his dislike of Heliodor.

"Father, he's my business."

Kunzite took Heliodor to the side, and warned the younger, "You break her heart, and I'll break off your family jewels."

At that moment, a woman stepped into the bar, of Japanese origin. She went over to the men playing darts, and spoke to Endymion. Then, she came over to the rest of the families. The fathers bowed to her, and the daughters decided to curtsy. She giggled.

"Well, I'm not used to such reverence yet. But being a bride, I could use some help when my mother passes."

Emily spoke. "I don't know about my friends, but I know exactly who you are. You're Usagi Tsukino."

"Actually, it's Chiba. Usagi Chiba."

"I'm Emily Vaziri. Some people call me Emily Vanderbilt."

"Well, that's stupid people for ya."

The two of them giggled. How did she know what she went through?

When they were finished, they went back to the place outside Georgetown to relax for the evening, but soon, there was a reporter waiting for them.

"Excuse me, are you Emily Vanderbilt?"

"Yes?"

"I'd like to ask a few questions, please/"

Suddenly, there were a great number of photographers swarming out of nowhere, taking pictures of the van, the cars and the people inside. Most of them were scared out of their wits.

As Lord Kunzite shielded his king and queen from photographers, tape recorders, cameras and microphones, Emily decided to deal with the swarm herself.

"We have just returned from celebrating our release. I would like to hold a press conference three days from now, at two o'clock. There will be no comments until then."

With a groan, the swarm went to the others, who immediately followed suit. As they finished piling into the house, Emily repeated her announcement.

Grace came back out with a large rifle and yelled, "Get the hell off the property before I call the cops!"

The reporters scattered.

Emily glared at Grace. "Did you have to pull out a gun? That's so Russell Crowe."

Inside, the others were astonished.

"What are you, some sort of celebrity around here?" asked Usagi.

"I was a former basketball star for the Wildcats before I got injured. I've got a bad ankle still."

Grace said, "Whatever she did back then was big news. She pretty much was the whole team."

Blossom asked, "Okay, what's with the name switch? You're no Vanderbilt."

"When I applied to college, it was 2001. Nobody was sure if they would let an Arab girl play basketball, especially in Kentucky."

"Did you give them a chance?"

"Not when there have been attacks on women in head wraps. I did not leave the house in anything but flag gear for two whole years. I was desperate. There were people spraying nasty graffiti on our house. I received death threats through email and snail mail both."

Juliana tried to explain to Blossom how this was.

"When you've been put down, backstabbed, called names, threatened, and attacked at school because you can fit under some label, you'll understand."

"Don't call me a racist."

"See, you've been through this sort of thing, too. I never said anything about you being a racist."

"Well, just because I don't run around and torture myself for being white doesn't mean I'm a racist either."

"Who did that to you, anyway? Those people have been the same way towards Emily."

Blossom stopped. "Oh, that's what prejudice is about. Hating people for things they never did, because they have something like those who do."

"Exactly. Now do you understand why Emily changed her name?"

"Yeah. I guess you got some of that $*&%, too."

"Well, when people call you Miss Piggy, Chi Chi, heifer, Blubber, Free Willy and Shamu all through high school, you're bound to get into a few fights."

Grace stepped in. "I like to call it Hell School, of you know what I mean. I get that sort of thing in my former family."

Everybody was shocked. "Former family?"

"Yeah. Ever since they revealed I was adopted, they were nice to me, giving some things for a while, then they stopped-like I don't exist."

"Really?"

"Yeah. They are centered right here in this town, and nobody has called me."

"Yeah. I guess my mother wasn't good enough for them, and neither was my grandmother."

"What's the name?"

"Well, they're the family of Melody Milton. She was Melody Jackson in the last 60 years of life."

Emily entered back in with information. "I heard that family is the most despicable group of people ever to not get 25 to life. Why would you want to get their love?"

Grace got mad. "That's my family you're talking about."

"We'll talk about your family later. Remember this, my dear: blood may be thicker than water, but the stone is thickest of all."

Grace smiled, and went to powder her nose.

"She's got a lot of issues with family. I don't blame her."


	25. Chapter 25

Emily and Sandra had a somewhat contentious lunch, due to the fact that she had gone to UK under an alias for so long. As most native Kentuckians-and anybody for that matter-feel, there is a horrible feeling learning that the prejudice you have tolerated for so long had actually affected you or your relationships to the negative. Eventually, Sandra felt compelled to apologize, but Emily did not want an apology. She simply wanted a new, more honest relationship with Sandra and her old teammates. Emily herself apologized for not giving the girls a chance to get to know her under her real name, and for her parents, who instructed her to use the alias.

When somebody faces discrimination, especially when one bad apple appears, they are compelled to fend discrimination off at all costs. Emily decided to change her name to something prestigious; it was a name from a bottle of perfume.

"You got your alias off a Gloria Vanderbilt bottle?"

"Yeah. It pleased my father; just be glad I didn't call myself Emily Dior."

"I dunno; Emily Arden sounds kinda good."

"Hey, I heard something about the Iranians in California. Didn't they hold a 'We Love America' rally of some sort outside a government building?"

"Yeah. We held flags of the old Iran off the Shah, and American flags too. They represented the past and the future."

"What was up with the Shah anyway?"

"Shah Reza Pahlavi and his son Mohammed Reza Pahlavi were Pro-American. My parents came over in '77 when there were signs of trouble. My father has military combat weapons given him from the Shah himself."

"So who's the white-haired guy that's been hanging around you? You look so much like him."

"He's my...I've got another secret."

"Well, spill it. I'm game."

"The Vaziris are my adopted parents. He's my real father."

"Okay, that's weird. Where did he come from?"

"I don't know. I don't know about my birth mother, either."

"That sucks. I hope you find her."

"I will. I can feel it."

"You and your feelings. Have you registered as a psychic?"

"No. You know I don't believe in that stuff."

They talked on and on for an hour, then Sandra had to go back to work.

As the two of them went outside, they bade each other good bye.

At that moment, Metallia's spy was in the restaurant, reporting back to Queen Beryl. She was planning to recapture the girls, and bring them back to the Kingdom. They were to be her vessels for her ultimate plan: to destroy the Earth. The Demon of the Sun wanted to carry out her plans from her true master, the Angel of Illusion. If the Angel of Illusion could not defeat the Ultimate Creator, he would destroy his most prized works in the Universe: the humans and intelligent life on the planets in the Ultimate Creator's universe.

Juliana and her father were on the phone, explaining to her community college why she had to drop the units. They had just gotten the Dean to excuse them. They hung up and decided to call for Chinese. Usagi checked in on them, and went to tell their suggestion. As they got on the phone...

Grace was with the friends she had made in high school, that had gone to UK. They were celebrating the end of finals, and waiting for the grades. They were partying at her father's house. She was demonstrating a body shot off a cute guy when...

Blossom was playing music on her father's baby grand, next to Endymion and Heliodor. Usagi had just come back quietly when...

Emily called her father.

"Hey Dad, I'm going to come back to the shop."

"How was lunch with Sandra?"

"It was good."

"She wasn't too pleased with your revelations, then?"

"I don't know who my birth mother is." After a pause, she got a hunch. "Hey Dad, don't you think Queen Beryl might try to do something soon?"

Beryl struck her globe with a long black crystal. "Let the servants come back!"

At once, Emily felt a gigantic pain in the center of her forehead. She began to scream.

Lord Kunzite shouted, "Emily? Where are you? What's going on?"

Blossom's head hurt so much; she fell over onto the piano. Lord Zoisite ran over, but began to have a massive headache himself. Still, he clutched on to his baby girl. He would not leave her now.

Grace's head hurt sharply. She fainted. Her friends were trying to wake her up, when a crash came from the kitchen. Lord Nephrite had dropped a platter of hot wings and fainted himself. As her friends from Georgetown arrived, the friends from UK were hovering over him and Grace, and the Georgetown friends tried to splash ice water on them.

Juliana felt a sharp pain in the head. She looked at her father, who was wincing as well.

"Dad, what's happening?"

"Metallia's trying to...to..." but Lord Jadeite could not speak. He simply grasped his daughter's hand in loving support.

Whatever Metallia had in store for them, Lord Jadeite would not leave his little girl's side.

Lord Kunzite kept screaming over the phone.

"Emily! Emily! I'm coming!"

Lord Kunzite appeared in front of Emily, who fainted in his arms.

"I'm here for you, love. I'll put my shield around us."

As the shield formed, there was an ambulance in front of them. A woman stepped out, and was in the shield, motioning to Emily. Lord Kunzite knew she was a youma.

"I will never let you have her!"

"Pull away, sir. She needs air."

"Nice try. I know you're not an EMT."

The woman wrapped a surprise tentacle around them. Lord Kunzite tried to free them, but Emily's body weight was to no avail.

Emily then woke up. She was not herself, however. It was like somebody else was in her body.

"Please, let us go. I will go with you."

The youma let them go. "Emily" turned to her father.

"Would you like to come with me?"

"Not by choice."

The tentacle wrapped itself around Lord Kunzite. "Emily" struck his forehead. Whatever controlled her tried to activate Lord Kunzite's crystal, but it was no use. Kunzite was able to escape. He tried to send a telepathic message to Endymion, but he was not sure if Endymion received it.

The youma opened a portal, and went inside. Emily followed and closed it. Cars in front of the restaurant exploded around it.

There was a commotion back at the jewelry store. Mr. Vaziri, Mrs. Vaziri, Sandra, Grace's Georgetown friends, Blossom's piano instructor, Endymion, Usagi, and Heliodor were all trying to make sense of what happened.

Endymion tried to get everybody's attention, but it was too noisy. Then, Usagi wolf whistled. Everybody looked at her.

"You were saying, honey?" She giggled.

"Kunzite tried to rescue his daughter from being kidnapped, and he sent the message while Emily left, of what seemed to be her own behavior. My lovely bride and I were knocked unconscious when the youmas came for Blossom and Zoisite. Heliodor, what were you doing?"

"I heard Juliana screaming, and arrived too late. She looked at me with this cold, icy stare. It was like she didn't know me. She then went with some youma into a portal."

"Anybody heard from Kunzite yet?"

"He's at UK hospital. Let's go."

Mr. Vaziri drove his car, while Heliodor drove the van. They arrived at UK's emergency room to find Kunzite in one of the wards.

"Well, if it isn't the Vaziris. Your friend, Mr. K. is ready for you. He's in some sort of shock, claiming his daughter has been kidnapped. He's in bed 24."

The crowd went to see him. He had bandages on his arms and legs, and was in a hospital smock. When everybody arrived, he did not look too pleased.

"I've been trying to let them get me a second one of these things. My &%% is hanging out the back."

Grace's friend Liz asked, "Really?"

"Forget about it."

Heliodor asked, "How are you?"

"Only minor scrapes and wounds. They're giving me some prescriptions to take care of the pain." Kunzite paused, and he then asked, "Why weren't you taken along with the rest?"

"What about you? Everyone else went along blindly like they were hypnotized."

"Upon revival of my memories, I vowed to serve Beryl and Metallia no longer. I guess my death since then freed me from their power."

"I wasn't given a choice. My mother bound me to the stone heliodor at birth."

"Which brings me to the question: Why did you not go with the others?"


	26. Chapter 26

Back at the Vaziri's house, Heliodor decided to use a healing crystal on Kunzite, and to perhaps answer a few questions concerning the reason he was left behind. He had plenty of opportunity to go after them but for Jadeite, who blankly held him back, encasing him in a giant block of ice. Heliodor could only helplessly watch as Jadeite went after Juliana and closed the portal. Heliodor then used a spell Emily taught him and melted the crystal away. The dining room was a wet mess afterwards, but Heliodor was safe - and warming up.

"And that's how I was left behind."

"Perhaps she sensed the good in your heart and rejected you. But what about your mother?"

Suddenly, a portal opened up out of the ceiling and Queen Beryl fell out. Endymion, Kunzite and Heliodor caught her. She was devastated.

"Oh Endymion, I have done a terrible deed, and it is now catching up to me."

"My goodness, Beryl, what's going on?"

"All of the known children are being absorbed into Metallia's body. I've been dethroned." With that, she fainted, and blood came from her mouth.

Kunzite laid her out gently on the table. He then ordered Heliodor get all the healing crystals he stole and placed them around her.

"She has massive internal injuries. It's not clear as to whether she'll survive, unless we can encase her in beryl rocks."

Mr. Vaziri said, "Transport me to the jewelry store. I know where some beryl is." Kunzite and Mr. Vaziri went.

Mrs. Vaziri appeared with some emerald jewelry, some red bixbite, and a heliodor necklace. She placed them on her, but Heliodor instructed to put them beside her, touching her body and each other.

Heliodor said, "I have an idea." He pulled out a pocket knife and sliced his palm.

Mrs. Vaziri screamed and pulled the knife from him. Mr. Vaziri and Kunzite came back, with the beryl stones displayed in the case. They placed them, touching on one side of Beryl's body. Mr. Vaziri calmed his wife.

"Don't worry, my dear, that is healing. We need to get that knife back."

Heliodor got the knife back, lay on the other side of his mother, took the knife and slit her palm. He then placed her wounded hand in his, and his good hand touching the stones.

In a few minutes, Beryl gasped for air and rose. Her hand healed, as did her son's.

"What happened? Where am I?"

Kunzite began to explain. "You're at the house of the Vaziris, that good couple who took my daughter in. Why don't you rest a bit while we go and rescue all the rest?"

"I'm going with you."

"You're not well."

"You need me to fight!"

"Mother, I am just as good with our powers as you. We'll be fine. Lava Lamp's got another thing coming."

Usagi transformed into Eternal Sailor Moon, and produced the famed Ginzuishou. "Will you need this?"

"No," replied Kunzite. "This is strictly our own business."

"I don't see that doing well."

Kunzite and Heliodor ignored them and went into a portal, going straight into the Dark Kingdom.

Meanwhile, the girls and their fathers were obediently being planted on the flat sides of a series of gravitated pillars, with no recourse. Metallia then began to glow and shine out of her giant orange cloud, and began to radiate into the heads and hearts of the seven there.

"I have chosen my warriors. My spirit and your bodies will be one, and together we will be complete."

Emily broke free of her possession first. The strength of her spirit could not be denied.

"I will never serve you! You are not my ruler!"

Metallia sent an extra shock wave toward Emily, which made her scream. The scream broke the possession Metallia had on the fathers.

Each of the fathers denounced Metallia, who in turn silenced them.

The daughters gradually broke away, each of them denouncing alliance with the demon trying to possess them.

Soon, Kunzite and Heliodor arrived. They were both ready to fight.

Heliodor shot electric bolts first. Metallia deflected them by a magic shield and sent the bolts back to Heliodor and Kunzite.

Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity arrived, holding the Ginzuishou up to Metallia. It was no use. Metallia held the bodies of the ones to possess as human shields.

Heliodor received a bolt, this time from Metallia. Another one knocked Kunzite out of his senses. In this, Heliodor found a realization: renouncing Metallia would require the strength of more than the Ginzishou. It would require the precise alignment of all the powers of the people she was trying to possess, and opening her up to a weak spot on her head shields, which spun around her head fast for her protection.

It was hopeless. Emily was gone, the only woman he had loved. All his known family would die, too.

Suddenly, a voice was heard that nobody expected.

"Metallia!" screamed Queen Beryl, with a giant bolt large enough to fry the human body to a crisp.

Metallia immediately fired it back, stopping the head shields long enough for everybody to strike. Heliodor unleashed electricity, those captured fired the powers back, the Ginzuishou's power released, and Lord Kunzite fired his flying swords, all straight to Metallia's weak spot in her head, between the shields.

There was an explosion, and fire, and ice, and debris, and bloodshed.


	27. Chapter 27

Emily awoke inside her family's living room. There were lots of bodies around her, of people sleeping. There was Juliana, Lord Jadeite, Grace, Lord Nephrite, Blossom, Lord Zoisite, Lord Kunzite, Endymion, Serenity, Heliodor, and her parents, but...where was Beryl?

She suddenly remembered the last thing she saw before she fired the entire fiber of her powers back at Metallia. Queen Beryl fried to a crisp, and Metallia's head shields stopping their revolution. She looked again at Heliodor. He must know, but how would he take the circumstances?

As Heliodor woke up, she insisted on holding him, and never letting him go. In this moment, it was perfect. She knew now that it was not infatuation, but in fact something more. She actually liked his constant sexual advances, for they were something she hoped for. He was groggy and somewhat disoriented.

"Don't leave me yet."

"I never will."

"I'm here for you. Always."

"I love you."

With that, they kissed and held each other tight.

Kunzite stood over them and sneered, "Is this behavior becoming of royalty?"

The two of them stopped kissing, and looked up sheepishly.

Heliodor said, "I can explain. You see, I must have two certain stones to-"

Kunzite raised his hand. "Help me get the others up, please. We will all need to eat something."

As the others got up and realized where they were, they began to embrace each other, holding tight.

In all the happy commotion, Heliodor realized there was somebody missing.

"Where's my mother?"

The people grew quiet. Suddenly, Emily had to deliver the bad news.

"Your mother...sacrificed herself to save us. She threw a gigantic attack Metallia had to stop the shields to deflect."

Heliodor's face grew dark.

Kunzite gave the rest of the explanation. "She knew she had to die, and gave herself for you and those you grew to love."

Heliodor meekly asked, after shedding a tear, "She saved us?"

"She died for all of us. I know she would happily do it again."

Heliodor went off by himself, and Emily crept behind him.

When Heliodor saw Emily on the balcony he had secluded himself to, he became mad.

"I don't need to show you my crying!"

"Well," Emily said, meekly, "When you're ready, I'm here."

She then went back into the bedroom. It was a guest bedroom, where the two of them could easily sleep in the large bed.

What seemed like a second later, Heliodor came in and looked at Emily. He embraced her, giving her kisses upon kisses. They melted together onto the bed, but Lord Kunzite knocked on the door. They opened it, for they were still very dressed.

"Excuse me, but would you two like something to eat? We're all going over to Nephrite's house."

"Sounds good." Emily bolted out the door.

Kunzite held Heliodor back. The elder man showed the younger a pair of stones.

"Are these the two you were wanting?"

"Well, the pink one certainly is not kunzite."

"It will bond better with the other one, for they are in the same family."

"Then they are perfect."

Grace's friends from the town and from Georgetown had bonded through their mutual experiences of watching their friend and her father being brainwashed and kidnapped. They put all the food into storage, whatever they had not eaten.

Everyone bought new platters and new drinks, and they all had a large party, where they all celebrated being free. Even though the cops were not called to it, the party was a wild success.

Heliodor presented what he did to the two stones Lord Kunzite had given him: a magically fused stone of the golden heliodor and pink morganite, both from the same family of beryl.

"Emily, you have shown me great faith and great love. I know you liked my advances, though you were simply being proper. Forgive me for being so forward. It is here, and now, that I have chosen the one who my future rests in, if she will have it. Emily Victoria Vaziri, Supreme Commander of the Golden Kingdom, will you marry me?"

Emily was overcome. This was the one thing she wanted more than anything else. She threw her arms around him and said, "Yes."

With a cheer, everybody acknowledged the engagement.

That very night, the two of them lay in an invisible tent on the sand in St. Petersburg, Florida. It was warm and humid; perfect for lying beside each other. Heliodor stroked her hair. It was a perfect night-the sand, the gentle sounds of the gulf, nobody around to hear them.

"Do you want to?"

"Of course."

"Close your eyes."

She did, and the man kissed her deeply, soulfully. It was just perfect the way he moved close, and delicately pressed his body to hers.

They came together, quietly among the crashing of the waves.

When they returned to Kentucky, they kissed again, Emily's ring on her finger, and went their separate ways. Nobody knew a thing except them.

"Let's set a date, baby."


End file.
